M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

Breaking the Mercury Cycle, Boston, May 1-3, 2002

Viktoria LjungMinistry of the EnvironmentDivision for Ecomanagement

Strategies and Industrial Co-operation

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

Government bill in 98 Parliament decision in 99-

”The overall objective is to solve today´s

environmental problems before the years 2020-

2025”

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

National Objectives for Environmental Quality

• Clean air• High-quality

groundwater• Sustainable lakes

and watercourses• Flourising wetlands• Balanced marine and

coastal environment• No europhication• Natural acidification

only

• Sustainable forests• Varied agricultural

landscape• Magnificient

mountainscape• Good urban environment• Non-toxic environment• Safe radiation

environment• Protective ozone layer• Limited effects on climate

change

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

A Non-Toxic EnvironmentThe outcomes within a generation for the environmental quality objective A Non-Toxic Environment should include the following:

• The concentrations of substances that naturally occour in the environment are close to the background concentrations.

• The levels of foreign substances in the environment are close to zero.

• Polluted areas have been investigated and cleaned up where necessary.

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

Swedish Policy for Mercury

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

The objective is to end the use of Hg by

2010

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

1992 Prohibition to manufacture and sell certain products containing Hg, for example thermometers, electrical equipment, certain batteries.

1998 Prohibition to export Hg

2001 Obligation to pre-treat electric and electronic waste befor disposal

2003 Prohibition to use Hg in production of new cars (EU)

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

2004 Restrictions to use Hg, in for example in production processes

2009 Prohibition to use Hg in chlor-alkali production

2010 Legal obligation to dispose of Hg waste in deep rock storage

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

Collection of Hg

M i n i s t r y o f t h e E n v i r o n m e n t S t o c k h o l m , S w e d e n

Proposal by the Committee on the Terminal Storage of Mercury• Legal requirement to permanently

store Hg waste deep in bedrock• Waste owners bear the

responsibility for construction, location, building and management of the facility

• Should be effected by 2010