The Mercury Challenge

The National Partnership for Environmental Priorities' (NPEP) Mercury Challenge promotes the voluntary, systematic elimination of mercury-containing equipment from industrial sites. Mercury is a highly toxic chemical designated as one of 31 priority chemicals that EPA wants to reduce in our nation's products and wastes. Mercury is a documented contaminant of air, land, water, plants, and animals and exposure to mercury can cause serious health problems.

The goal of the Mercury Challenge is to eliminate mercury from industrial sites.

Many organizations have been successful in reducing or eliminating mercury at their facilities. Some success stories include:
-International Steel Group, U.S. Steel, and Ispat Inland developed mercury reduction plans focusing primarily on mercury-containing devices under a voluntary agreement with EPA, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the Lake Michigan Forum. The mills instituted plans to reduce the amount of mercury by 90% by 2008 by substituting equipment, altering purchasing practices, and educating employees. By 2003, they had collectively removed approximately 3,700 pounds of mercury from their facilities.
-We Energies voluntarily reduced their mercury-containing equipment (including thermometers, barometers, manometers, and switches) by over 10,000 pounds. We Energies removed equipment during routine maintenance and implemented targeted reduction plans. They also changed purchasing policies to buy mercury-free caustic soda
-Consumers Energy Company established a Mercury Pollution Prevention Initiative in 1996. By 2002, they had reduced elemental mercury by 90% and mercury-containing equipment by more than 33%.