7 NOVEMBER:

IPEN Press Release (Bangkok): The U.S. has led a push at the mercury treaty negotiations in Bangkok to further delay any global action on mercury contaminated sites. The sixth negotiating meeting of the Minamata Convention on Mercury has failed to live up to its title, which references the world’s most infamous mercury contaminated site in Minamata, Japan. The objective of the Convention is to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

Article 12 of the Convention urges signatories to endeavor to cooperate in developing strategies and implementing activities for identifying, assessing, prioritizing, managing and, as appropriate, remediating contaminated sites and assessing health risks.

Read the entire press release in English, español and français. 

4 November

IPEN and Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) held a press conference at the headquarters of the Thai Journalists’ Association. Some 20 newspaper and TV reporters attended. The event drew attention to the mercury pollution issues in Thailand, particularly mercury emissions from coal power plants and other industrial sources such as petroleum and gas production and waste incineration. Please read about the event here.