MercERIE Brochure
Voluntary Mercury Reduction at Hamot Medical Center and
Mercury Reduction Workshop for Hospitals: Hamot Medical Center, the
largest hospital in Erie, is implementing a mercury reduction
project with a zero mercury use goal by the year 2000. Mercury is
widely used in hospitals in sphygmomanometers, thermometers,
mercuric oxide batteries, esophogeal devices, and lab chemicals.
According to EPA's Mercury Study Report to Congress, medical waste
incinerators account for 10.1% of total mercury emissions to the
air.
Internal Mercury Audit at International Paper - International Paper's Erie Mill has completed an internal mercury audit of it's production process and wastewater discharge. The audit detected no mercury (detection limit - 0.0002 mg/l). International Paper's Erie Mill accounts for one fourth of the discharge to the City of Erie's Wastewater Treatment Plant. International Paper also checked the sources of caustic soda and acids used in their operation. International Paper does not purchase any caustic soda manufactured via the mercury cell process and does not purchase acids from smelters. International Paper's internal audit served as a case study for P3ERIE's Business Guide to Conducting A Mercury Audit .
Mercury and Hazardous Material Collections: P3ERIE conducted a mercury collection on April 17-18, 1998, in association with Earth Day activities at the Erie Civic Center. Approximately 750 mercury containing items were collected from the public.
Approximately 1,240 pounds of elemental mercury was collected at the City of Erie Wastewater Treatment Plant on April 17th and 18th. The elemental mercury was collected from approximately 29 businesses, 30 individuals and from 11 schools.
The mercury collection: 1) educated the public concerning mercury's hazards, proper recycling, and P2 opportunities, 2) reduced the risks of mercury spills and improper disposal and the health, environmental, and economic liabilities and risks associated with such events, 3) provided an opportunity for businesses to remove a hazardous substance from the workplace at no cost to the business, 4) allowed the general public the opportunity to participate in P2, and 5) generated positive feedback from participating businesses and the public.
P3ERIE is still offering the public and schools in Northwest Pennsylvania an opportunity to recycle elemental (liquid, metallic) mercury at no cost. Please call the DEP at 814 332-6839 or the Erie County Recycling Hotline at 814 451-6009.
Public Education Campaign: P3ERIE has developed a brochure for the general
public titled Mercury: Toxic, Persistent, and Preventable.
The brochure is available on this web site or by calling the DEP at
814 332-6839. The brochure contains information on the dangers of
mercury, mercury containing products, mercury recycling disposal
information, and alternatives to mercury products.
P3ERIE's other projects and successes include:
- A pollution prevention for school laboratories workshop and removal of extremely hazardous laboratory chemicals from sixteen schools in Erie County;
- Hosting four energy efficiency and waste reduction workshops;
- Hosting a pollution prevention for metal finishers workshop;
- Hosting a mercury reduction for health care facilities workshop; and
- Starting a pollution prevention initiative
with the Pennsylvania Dental Association.
