U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION PLAN
Fiscal Year 2009
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Table of Contents
Background 1
Management Accountability 4
Internal Organization Engagement 5
External Stakeholder Engagement 5
Environment and Trade 11
Data Collection and Management 11
Professional and Organization Development 12
Environmental Justice Assessment 12
Program Evaluation 12
FY'09 Robust-Results Oriented Activities 12
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OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROGRAM NARRATIVE
Background:
Since its establishment in the 1970s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has improved the quality of life for all Americans by safeguarding their air, water, and
land and helping to protect their health. The domestic successes of EPA's public health
and environmental protection have been very impressive.
Addressing issues at home is only part of the environmental equation. As globalization
continues to affect the world and as we better understand the interdependences of
ecosystems and the transport of pollutants, it becomes clearer that we live in a global
environment. For example, the water quality of a lake here in the United States is
affected not only by pesticides from neighboring farms, lawns, and gardens, but also by
pollutants emitted thousands of miles away. Similarly, the depletion of a natural resource
in one nation can have environmental and economic ramifications in many other
countries.
The mission of the Office of International Affairs is to protect U.S. human health and the
environment, and to advance US. environmental interests through international
engagement. Within this mission, OIA promotes environmental justice by informing our
international partners of EPA's commitment to be fair and inclusive in all of our work,
and by promoting environmental justice concepts that identify and address
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental risks and hazards
that plague vulnerable populations.
OIA partners with EPA program and regional offices, other U.S. government agencies,
international organizations and governments, and domestic and international civil society
organizations to implement our work. Since these partners are also environmental and/or
social justice advocates, environmental justice principles are entrenched in the
development and implementation of EPA's international programs. OIA encourages all
stakeholders to participate and exchange positions and points of view. Knowing and
understanding the views of others garners social responsibility and leads to good-will
approaches to complex environment and public health issues.
At the 2002, World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), delegates from all
over the world assumed responsibility to advance and strengthen the interdependent and
mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development - economic development, social
development and environmental protection - at the local, national, regional and global
levels, and committed to build a humane, equitable and caring global society, cognizant
of the need for human dignity for all. As a result, "Partnerships" were formed under the
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United Nation's Environment Program (UNEP), and much of EPA's international work is
implemented under the auspices of these "Partnerships".
The present and former EPA Administrators' commitment to integrate environmental
justice concepts in our work has had an influence in the international arena. In addition,
global societies are now recognizing the value of protecting one another as we all move
to achieve a sustainable world.
Management Accountability
OIA's Management is committed to the principles of environmental justice both at home
and abroad. Management is dedicated to maintaining a diverse workforce at all levels.
EPA staff is aware that it is a privilege to represent the United States Government in the
international arena and is encouraged to ensure that programs developed to protect health
and the environment are designed to be implemented with the utmost respect and with
broad sensitivity and understanding of various laws, cultures, traditions, protocols and
religions. OIA staff encourages other countries to use concepts that identify and address
disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects of activities
that impact the most vulnerable populations. Our programs are designed and
implemented to achieve measurable environmental results.
About the Office of International Affairs:
The Office of International Affairs is divided into three offices, with several programs
operating in each office:
The Office of Regional and Bilateral Affairs (ORB A) provide policy and programmatic
expertise for matters of environmental and geopolitical importance to the U.S. in other
countries. ORB A maintains current environmental, cultural, political and economic
information for use in developing Agency projects and programs with priority countries
and regions. The Office identifies and deploys skills in designing and implementing
international programs, including programs related to international capacity building and
environmental governance.
The Office of Global Affairs and Policy (OGAP), provides policy and programmatic
expertise for environmental and human health issues that are multinational in scope.
OGAP engages on the domestic environmental aspects of international instruments, such
as trade, finance, and investment agreements. This Office provides institutional
knowledge concerning relevant international organizations and serves as EPA's primary
point of contact with these entities. This Office identifies broad emerging international
environmental issues and, in concert with internal and external partners, develops
initiatives to address those issues identified. OIA's Environmental Justice Program is
housed in OGAP.
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The Office of Management and International Services (OMIS) is responsible for
providing the full range of necessary management and administrative programs and
coordinates cross-cutting administrative support services, providing expert management
advice, services and support to the Assistant Administrator and all organizations within
the Office of International Affairs.
OIA's Deputy Assistant Administrator is a member of the EPA Environmental Justice
Steering Committee and meets with other DAAs and DRAs to establish environmental
justice policy, activities, and progress. Information from these meetings is conveyed to
OIA management and action is taken to ensure that OIA is in compliance with agreed
upon strategies.
Internal Organization Engagement:
OIA serves as a focal point and catalyst for the Agency's international affairs. Providing
leadership and coordination on behalf of the EPA Administrator, OIA mobilizes the vast
policy, scientific and technical expertise available at EPA to help address environmental
objectives in other countries. EPA's program and regional offices, also environmental
justice advocates, play a critical role in pursuing international environmental objectives
and in developing and implementing strategies to achieve strategic environmental goals.
OIA administers EPA's International Visitors Program, and hosts international delegates
who engage in the discussion of various environmental justice related issues. Delegates
from foreign countries engage in interactive dialogue with EPA experts and specialists
working on issues common to those in other countries. These meetings provide
opportunities for listening and solution-oriented tool sharing.
External Stakeholder Engagement:
For decades, significant attention has been devoted to address the need for global
environmental engagement and collaboration among Nations. From voluntary measures
to control climate change, to the establishment of highly touted "Partnership" efforts,
there has been increasing recognition that global engagement in the pursuit of positive
environmental outcomes is critical to achieve meaningful progress. These outcomes are
driven by the relationships and collaborations amongst a variety of stakeholders, which
include governments, non-government organizations, industry groups, financial
institutions, academicians, civil societies, and others.
OIA engages and collaborates with international organizations and finance institutions
around the world to inform, coordinate, and negotiate relevant U.S. environment policy,
cultivate opportunities for programmatic cooperation in areas of shared interests, and to
foster and maintain positive global relationships. In order to maintain existing
partnerships and build new ones, we focus our efforts in strategic areas that bring about
short and long-term life changing results around the world. We engage with the United
Nations and other global institutions such as the World Bank to encourage regional
development of finance institutions to promote cooperative ventures that can leverage
resources in support of EPA's environmental collaborative work. We also engage and
coordinate with international foray, such as the Group of Eight (G8), the Organization of
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Environment and Cooperative Development (OECD), and the Arctic Council. We
collaborate with our U.S. Government partners engaged with key international
organizations, such as the State Department, U.S.AID, and the Treasury Department to
invoke environmental justice considerations in international work as we foster productive
relationships that benefit U.S. interests.
OIA works with EPA program offices to advance existing UN Partnerships on Mercury,
Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles, and Chemicals. We monitor and provide targeted
coordination and policy assistance in other strategic areas led by EPA program offices,
including: combustion, products, chloralkali, artisanal mining, research, cement, vcm,
non-ferrous metals, and waste. These partnerships address hazards that directly impact
vulnerable populations, especially women and children, and offer education and
prevention tools to improve quality of life.
Examples of our multi-lateral collaborations, successes and challenges include:
Partnership for Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles - Launched at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, EPA is working to eliminate lead in
gasoline and reduce sulfur in fuels, while introducing cleaner vehicle technologies.
World-wide, there are 17 countries left that still use leaded gasoline, affecting over 300
million people. The Partnership is working towards global elimination of lead by 2011.
The agreed global target for sulfur in fuels is 50 ppm. To date 14 developing/ transition
countries are already at 50 ppm or less. The Partnership continues moving forward on
the lead, sulfur and vehicle issues.
Global Partnership for Mercury - Provides a focused, global means for reducing mercury
use and emissions, thus improving human health and environmental conditions in the
near-term both locally and globally. EPA has led international action in a number of
partnership areas, providing world class technical assistance and substantial in-kind and
direct assistance to our partners.
World Conservation Union - Invasive species are a cause of biodiversity loss. They also
cause direct economic losses and management costs to commercial and recreational
interests. EPA is working with the World Conservation Union to better identify and
develop techniques that reduce or eliminate the risks of new introductions of invasive
species into U.S. waters.
Asia-Pacific Partnership - EPA is working with Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and
the private sector through the Asia Pacific Partnership to expand investment and trade in
cleaner energy technologies, goods, and services in key market sectors. As part of this
initiative, governments agreed to established eight public-private task forces: (1) cleaner
use of fossil energy; (2) renewable energy and distributed generation; (3) power
generation and transmission; (4) steel; (5) aluminum; (6) cement; (7) coal mining; and (8)
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buildings and appliances. EPA leads the U.S. in four task forces: clean fossil energy;
cement; aluminum; and buildings & appliances. The agency is also involved in the work
of several other task forces and in other cross-cutting areas under development, such as
transportation. The six partner countries represent about half of the world's economy,
population and energy use, and they produce about 65% of the world's coal, 48% of the
world's steel, 35% of the world's aluminum, and 61% of the world's cement.
The following are two examples of EPA 's international partnership work with
environmental justice considerations implemented in two Regions of the world:
Africa:
Under the Sub-Saharan Africa Program, EPA focuses on urban and industrial pollution
issues as they impact people's health, particularly vulnerable populations such as children
and the poor. With support from US AID and the US State Department, EPA is
implementing projects to enable governments, universities, industry, non-governmental
organizations and others to begin to address growing pollution issues and their
consequent impacts on people's health.
EPA is a leader in building capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) on urban air quality
management, based on the pilot work conducted in South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania to
establish air quality monitoring systems, and institutionalize air quality training courses
developed by EPA and tailored for the SSA region. EPA provided support in phasing out
leaded gasoline. Building on this success, EPA is working through the Clean Fuels and
Vehicles Partnership to support Sub-Saharan African countries to lower sulfur in fuels.
Currently in SSA sulfur levels range between 3,000 to 10,000 ppm which, particularly in
diesel fuel, results in the emission of high levels of fine particulates which can be inhaled
deep into the lungs causing cardiovascular and respiratory disease. SSA countries have
now committed to reducing sulfur levels ultimately to 50 ppm, while at the same time
promoting the use of vehicle emission technology. EPA is assisting in the effort by
providing funding, technical and policy advice and public outreach information to
achieve this ultimate goal.
Under the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air (PCIA), EPA is working to reduce the
negative health impacts of indoor air pollution for the more than 75% of Africans who
burn wood, charcoal, dung, crop residue and coal for their home cooking and (in some
places) heating. The EPA is managing pilot projects in Mauritania, Nigeria, and Uganda
that are jointly funded by the US AID and EPA.
West Africa Mercury work will be discussed in our Robust-Results Oriented Activity.
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Russia/NIS
With its vast oil and gas reserves, Russia is becoming a major economic power. USEPA
works with Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Rostechandzor to address its
major environmental challenges. Russia has inherited environmental legacy "hot spots"
left by the Soviet Union. These pollution hot spots are also a major source of
transboundary transport of contaminants from Russia to the United States. EPA is
working to address key sources of contamination in Russia by partnering with U.S.
agencies and international organizations. Two objectives of EPA's work in Russia
include 1) addressing key sources of contamination and legacy wastes, by 2) developing
capacity for proper management, including safe storage, transportation and destruction of
toxic and hazardous waste.
Mercury Global Partnerships in the Russian Federation - In response to the issues
identified in the Russian mercury releases inventory, and the UNEP Governing Council
challenge to establish Mercury Partnerships to address these issues, OIA established a
Mercury Partnership with the Russian chlor-alkali industry. Since 2005, this Partnership
has achieved an annual reduction of over 4 metric tons of mercury use and discharges
that previously were released into the environment. Partnership is based on
implementation of cleaner production principles, best available technologies and best
environmental practices.
Volgograd "Caustic" successfully completed the assembly of their waste-water treatment
system which is expected to return up to 900 kg of mercury per year back into the
production cycle, rather than being released into the environment.
Under the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program (AMEC), EPA is
coordinating a project to recycle mercury-containing fluorescent lamps accumulated in
the military bases of North Navy. The current stock exceeds 150,000 lamps). EPA, in
partnership with the U.S.DoD and Russian Ministry of Defense, has established a model
mercury lamp recycling facility at Navy Yard 10, above the Arctic Circle. Each
fluorescent lamp, which is used by the Russian Navy in the Arctic, contains up to Ig of
vaporized mercury. If broken, the mercury vapors are being released into the environment
and contribute to the "Arctic Sunrise."
Proper Storage of Contaminants - Since 2004, EPA has represented the U.S. in the Arctic
Contaminants Action Program (ACAP), which includes the U.S., Canada, Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Under U.S. leadership, Arctic countries
worked together to reduce environmental contamination in the Arctic. ACAP initiated
work to inventory, analyze and provide temporary safe storage for over 4,000 metric tons
of obsolete and prohibited pesticides in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Russia. Prior
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to this project, the contaminants were released directly into those northward-flowing
Russian rivers and transported to the Arctic. Now ACAP is developing a model
demonstration program (the first in Russia) to destroy 100 tons of obsolete pesticides.
Environmental Justice Empowerment - The Arctic Contaminants Action Program has
also created a model environmental justice empowerment program in Russia called the
Indigenous Peoples Community Action Initiative. This sustainable and replicable project
has already resulted in the removal and safe storage of over a metric ton of PCBs and
persistent organic pollutant pesticides from remote indigenous villages in Alaska and
northern Russia. In the summer of 2008, through the ACAP Program, over 2000 drums
were removed from two Arctic indigenous villages in Chukotka on the Bering Sea across
from Alaska. These drums are "legacy wastes," which have been in the Region for over
40 years.
Tribal Outreach
The federal governments of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico carry out bi-national co-
leadership and partnership roles and responsibilities to help ensure protection of the many
Tribes living along the 5,500 miles U.S. border with Canada and the 2,000 miles U.S.
border with Mexico. Many international efforts are underway to ensure that human
health, wildlife, and their habitats are protected. In a number of U.S. border regions,
remediation of historic pollution areas contaminated land or toxic sediment in waterways
has been completed or is near completion to restore impaired and adversely impacted
environmental conditions.
The Office of International Affairs supports and assists a number of lead offices in the
Agency which carries out close cooperation with a fair number of tribal governments in
US border regions with Canada and Mexico. We believe that the North American
trilateral Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the Arctic Council are
important multilateral forums which help address priorities of the tribes and indigenous
peoples in the North American and Arctic regions. OIA will continue to follow the EPA
- National Tribal Council dialogue on climate change.
In collaboration with Regions 6 and 9, OIA works to accomplish the goals of the Border
2012 Program which is a collaborative program between the United States and Mexico to
improve the environment and protect the health of the nearly 12 million people living
along the border. The bi-national program focuses on cleaning the air, providing safe
drinking water, reducing the risk of exposure to hazardous waste, and ensuring
emergency preparedness along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Border 2012 is a results-oriented program that takes a "bottom-up" approach to
addressing the environmental and public health needs of the border region. Issues and
projects are identified and implemented at the local level. The program encourages
stakeholder involvement through a variety of opportunities.
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Examples of current and/or recently completed goals and tasks are:
WATER
Replacing an old water tank—The Campo Band of the Kumeyaay Nation received
authorization to replace a failing water tank.
Treating septic waste—The La Jolla Band of Luisefio Indians developed and installed a
lagoon to treat septic tank waste, funded by the Border 2012 Infrastructure program.
Renovating well systems— San Jose de la Zorra, a Kumeyaay indigenous community in
Baja California, Mexico, has finished the restoration of 7 hand dug wells. (This project is
completed but likely to be renewed in the future.)
AIR
In the Border Region on the U.S. side, Tribes conduct air monitoring activities under the
Clean Air Act (CAA), General Assistance Program Grant (GAP) funding or partially
fund their program with tribal funds. Current activities include, but are not limited to:
monitoring for basic meteorological data and pollutants such as particulate matter (PM),
ozone, air toxics, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
The La Jolla Band of Luisefio Indians (La Jolla) and the Pala Band of Mission Indians
(Pala) have been collaborating on an air quality study at the La Jolla Indian Reservation.
A cooperative agreement was entered into whereby the Pala staff helps the La Jolla staff
in calibrating the equipment on a monthly basis as required.
LAND
Pala Transfer Station— The Pala tribe opened the facility to the general public, charging
a minimal fee to dump trash and the Tribe has already obtained state certification for a
buy back center allowing for the purchase and marketing of commonly recycled items.
Torres Martinez Solid Waste Collaborative— The Torrez Martinez Tribe has closed all
major dumps and successfully prevented the creation of new dumps on the reservation.
E-waste—The La Jolla Band of Luisefio Indians has started an electronics waste
recycling.
HEALTH
Under the "Water and Sanitation Improvements Project", San Jose de la Zorra and San
Antonio Necua now have new sanitary facilities, centrally located in their communities,
in order to improve the tribal members' access to clean and environmentally friendly
restroom facilities.
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EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Tohono O'odham Chair Ned Norris and Governors Napolitano and Bours of Sonora
Mexico committed to developing a Tri-national emergency response plan during the
AZ/Mexican Commission Emergency Management Committee meeting in Phoenix,
Arizona. This is an historic commitment that formally brings tribal nations into the
Border 2012 Emergency Preparedness and Sister City Plan program.
COMPLIANCE
The indigenous community of San Antonio Necua in Baja California embarked upon an
eco-tourism venture for tourists in order to assist them in preserving the environmental
integrity of the community.
Environment and Trade
Our trade policy aims to achieve the United States commitment that will remove barriers
in foreign markets, while further liberalizing our market at home. Our goal is that free
and open trade creates new jobs and new income, and lifts the lives of all people.
In developing and negotiating free trade agreements, OIA works to ensure effective
enforcement of environmental laws, high levels of environmental protection, and
assurances that environmental laws are not weakened to encourage trade and/or
investment. OIA works diligently with international organizations to encourage
corporate responsibility.
Protecting human health and the environment are key to sustainable economic
development. EPA participates in a variety of foray to establish and implement
environment-related trade provisions that protect human health and the environment and
consider environmental justice. EPA is involved in the negotiation of new free trade
agreements, and in implementing existing agreements, such as the environmental
provisions under the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Working with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to develop, negotiate, and
implement environment-related provisions in all new free trade agreements, EPA helps
the U.S. achieve its trade policy objective. EPA also collaborates with USTR and the
President's Council on Environmental Quality to analyze the environmental impacts of
new trade agreements, as required under an executive order of the President. In addition,
EPA works with the U.S. State Department to help countries address potential
environmental impacts of increased trade. EPA promotes sustainable development and
helps to build the capacity of U.S. trading partners to develop, implement, and enforce
sound environmental standards.
Data Collection and Management
Recent advances in data processes and information sharing present new opportunities for
protecting the world's air, water, and land. The United States shares its decades of
experience in environmental management with other countries with greater efficiency and
less cost than ever before. Our ability to work with partners throughout the world to
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monitor pollution, develop baseline environmental measures, and fill in gaps in
environmental data has improved dramatically in recent years.
Professional and Organizational Development
OIA encourages staff to consider environmental justice concepts and recommends all
staff complete EPA Environmental Justice training offered on-line.
Environmental Justice Assessment
OIA looks forward to conducting the Environmental Justice Review beginning in the
Spring of 2009, to ensure all environmental justice considerations are being integrated in
our work.
Program Evaluation
OIA regularly assesses the effectiveness of our programs and consults with our domestic
and international partners to evaluate the need, progress and expected results of our
projects, programs and activites.
Office of International Affairs
FY09 Robust-Results Oriented Activity
Performance Measure Matrix
Description: EPA's Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining Projects to Reduce Mercury
Use and Emissions in West Africa, and Latin America Brazil and Peru
EPA has placed a high priority focus on mercury, a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin
which cycles globally. No one country alone can take action and hope to resolve health
and environmental impacts of mercury exposures. Mercury has been important in
commerce and trade. International mercury inventories developed through the United
Nations Environment Program process have shown that use of mercury in artisanal and
small-scale gold mining around the world contributes significantly to the global burden of
mercury. Artisanal processing of gold produced using mercury amalgamation, with
subsequent burn-off of mercury, leaving gold, occurs worldwide in over 50 countries.
The United Nation's International Development Organization's (UNIDO) Global
Mercury Project has indicated that successful designs and applications of locally
appropriate mercury control systems have a high potential for adaptation and propagation
in other countries.
Because of the vast environmental justice implications of mercury use and emissions in
the sector of artisanal small scale gold mining, and because we are encouraging the
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transfer of our mercury capture technologies and the replication of our training for
gold miners to other mining countries, OIA chose this model demonstration program to
review and to ensure that, to the fullest extent possible, all environmental justice
implementations are being addressed.
OIA's Strategy - To Reduce Environmental Mercury Emissions Using Improved Cleaner
and Safer Technologies and Training
Working under the auspices of the Global Mercury Partnership, EPA and its partners
designed a model demonstration program to: reduce mercury air emissions, mercury
consumption, and mercury exposures to miners, gold processing shop owners and both
rural and urban inhabitants from artisanal gold mining and refining in West Africa. The
training includes awareness-raising of the significant personal and environmental health
implications of mercury exposure. To accomplish this, we introduce miners to the retort
technology; educate miners on the early signs of mercury exposure; and promote
replication and expansion of this safer method to other mining communities once the
EPA program has ended.
Mercury Reduction in Artisanal Gold Mining, Senegal, West Africa
Open Burning
Using Retort Technology
This project focuses on the Tambacounda Region in SE Senegal, which is part of the
largest gold deposits in West Africa. There are about 10,000 artisanal gold miners in
Senegal with an affected population of 70,000. Each miner uses about 10 grams of
mercury per year, all of which is released to the environment.
To date over 1000 miners have been educated to the hazards of mercury, and trained to
use retorts to capture mercury vapor. Hundreds of miners have purchased retorts with
their own funds, a cost to them of approximately $5.00USD. These gold miners make
less than $1.00 per day. Many of those who can't afford to purchase retorts share with
their neighbors. Over 90% of miners with retorts use their retorts consistently in the
burning of amalgam. EPA set a goal to train a total of 2,000 or 20% of the estimated
10,000 miners in Senegal by the end of the project.
Recognizing that the environmental situation of the artisanal miners would improve
significantly if the Government of Senegal were more involved, EPA approached the
Senegalese Government and suggested a meeting of all pertinent Government officials
and other decision making stakeholders to obtain an understanding of the issues
encompassing the plight of the artisanal gold miners. This EPA sponsored and Senegal
Government hosted meeting occurred on September 22, 2008, in Dakar, Senegal. The
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meeting outcomes were that: (1) the risks posed by mercury in the context of the
traditional gold mining were identified and mitigation measures are being planned; and
(2) a draft Action Plan was developed to ensure that this the Government will responsibly
ensure that the additional 8000 untrained miners in Senegal will receive training after
EPA's program has ended.
This meeting was a critical first step toward our mutual development of a West Africa
Regional Workshop on Mercury in Artisanal Gold Mining. At this workshop, the
Government of Senegal will display their forward-thinking approaches to reduce mercury
emissions in the mining communities of Senegal. EPA will work with the Government
of Senegal to encourage neighboring mining countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cote
D'lvoire, and Guinea to develop national action plans in the artisanal and small scale
gold mining and processing sector. A follow-up meeting was held in November 2008 in
the Kedougou gold mining region to gather the insight and views of the affected miners.
(Representatives from the mining community were invited to the September meeting but
could not travel due to the rainy season.)
Stakeholders in Senegal are excited to work together to solve their problems. EPA will
help to ensure that efforts to reduce mercury exposure thus far achieved will be sustained.
This project has been especially helpful to women and children because once the risks
and hazards of mercury are known, precautions are taken to keep the women and children
out of harms way.
The project is achieving significant measurable results, reducing exposures and need for
new mercury. More widespread use of the retorts will increase these environmental
results and both the environment and the public health will benefit.
The following describes the gold shop hood technology which is the second phase of
processing to extract more mercury and thus further purify the gold. This technology is
not only being replicated in Peru but is scheduled to be transferred and demonstrated
at the upcoming Artisanal Gold Mining Regional Workshop in West Africa.
Mercury Reductions in Artisanal Mining Project in Brazilian Amazon
Location: Itaituba and Creporizao, State of Para, Brazil
The EPA Mercury Reductions in Artisanal Mining project established in the Tapajos
River Region, Para, Brazil targets reducing emissions from the intermediate gold
processing facilities, or "gold shops", which further purify gold amalgam following initial
applications of mercury and burn off in the field. The project's primary goal is to reduce
mercury emissions from gold shops in the Tapajos Region by the introduction of a low-
cost, locally constructed and implemented emission control technology.
The Tapajos River region in the state of Para is one of the most important gold mining
regions in Brazil. Brazil, in turn, is the leading producer of gold ore in Latin America and
the sixth largest gold producer globally. The majority of the gold in the Tapajos region is
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produced using mercury amalgamation which results in an estimated 130 tons of mercury
released to the environment annually. The region has between 60,000 and 90,000
artisanal and small- scale gold miners. The sites for this project are located in the city of
Itaibuba ( pop. 140,000) and the village of Crepurizao (pop. 764), both situated in the
state of Para, and are located in the Tapajos River Basin.
Gold processing shops in these communities emit over 1,000kg of inorganic mercury
vapor to the atmosphere annually (a conservative estimate). There are approximately 24
gold shops in the two project sites. Initially, only 2 of the 24 gold shops had any mercury
emission controls, with little or no effectiveness. The rest of the gold shops emitted pure
elemental mercury vapor directly to the air.
Gold that is brought from artisanal and small scale gold mining field areas to gold shops
in towns for further processing and sale typically still contains 5-40% mercury. The
uncontrolled removal of the residual mercury in gold shops using high temperature
evaporation can be a significant source of mercury emissions in urban areas where the
shops are located. EPA found that emissions from gold shop hoods in these communities
during a burn can exceed 1000 mg/m3. The dominant component of the exhaust is in the
form of aerosol or liquid particles.
EPA, with technical support from the Argonne National Laboratory, designed and tested
a technology to remove the dominant aerosol component in the emissions from gold
shops. Manufactured at low cost, under $400, using locally available materials and
manufacturing capabilities, it provides flexibility for installation, and does not disrupt
ongoing operations. Six prototypes designed by Argonne were locally manufactured,
installed, and tested in gold shops in Itaituba and Creporizao, Brazil.
We found that each can remove up to 60kg of mercury per year from the air, representing
at least a 90% mercury reduction at the gold shops. To date, we have removed more than
100kg of mercury. A water-based system for installation in smaller shops was also tested
and shown to be effective for certain applications, such as in small jewelry shops.
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Office of International Affairs
FY 09 EJ Robust-Results Oriented Matrix
Description: Mercury Reduction in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change; EJ Priority: Reduce Exposure to Air Toxics
Goal 3: Land Preservation and Restoration; EJ Priority: Revitalization of Brownfields and Contaminated Sites
EJ Priority: Collaborative Problem-solving to Address Environmental Justice Issues
ORG.
OIA
EJ Commitments
(Subject and
Description)
Mercury Reduction
Activities
- Reduce mercury use and
emissions in the sector of
artisanal and small scale
gold mining in Senegal,
West Africa, and in South
America.
- Educate miners to
hazards and risks of
mercury exposure.
- Introduce and train
miners to mercury
capturing retort and gold
shop hood technology.
- Encourage replication of
Training and education
methods.
- Explore micro-finance
opportunities to
neighboring mining
countries.
NATL
EJ
Priority*
Yes, 2
Office Manager
and
Staff Leads
Walker Smith,
Office Director
202-564-6639
Staff Leads:
Marilyn Engle
202 564-6472
(Latin America)
Wendy Graham
202 564-6602
(West Africa)
Projected Outputs
In Senegal, West Africa:
- Train 2,000 artisanal small scale gold
miners to the hazards, risks and early signs
of mercury exposure.
- Ensure awareness of health effects on
pregnant women and children.
- Introduce miners to cleaner, safer
mercury capturing retort technologies.
-Provide forum for outreach and education,
and to discuss the benefits of replication to
other mining countries.
In South America:
- Educate gold shop workers to the hazards
and risks of mercury exposure.
- Introduce gold shop owners to mercury
capturing gold shop hoods which are
constructed to further refine gold.
- Partner with pertinent government
officials so they have an understanding of
the risks associated with artisanal small
scale gold miners and gold shop workers.
-Encourage replication and use of
technology to other countries.
Change in Awareness
-Artisanal small scale gold
miners and gold shop owners
and workers are aware of the
hazards and risks of mercury.
-Miners understand that
pregnant women and children
should not be near mercury
burning.
- Miners know that retorts
safely capture mercury to
reduce exposure and lessen the
need for new mercury.
-Gold shop owners understand
the benefit of using gold shop
hoods.
- Government officials
understand the risks of mercury
and agree to protect citizens
through outreach and mercury
reduction technologies
-Encourage micro-finance
strategies for the purchase of
retorts.
Desired Outcomes
Change in Practice
-Miners recognize early
signs of mercury exposure.
- Pregnant women and
children are kept away
from burning mercury
-Miners use retorts to
safely work at mining
gold.
- Village miners purchase
retorts to use or to share
with their neighbors.
-Gov'ts. understand
hazards and risks of
mercury & develop
protection strategies to
reduce miners' exposure.
-Govt. officials construct a
Plan of Action to reduce
mercury exposure to small
artisanal gold miners.
-Microfinance strategies
are in place to enable
miners to purchase retorts
and/or gold shop hoods.
Change in Condition
- Pregnant women and
children no longer
exposed to burning
mercury
- Air quality improved
due to miners
purchasing and using
retorts
-Measurable results of
mercury capture and
reduction are realized.
Note: This matrix identifies the specific EJ Robust-Results Oriented Activities to be undertaken in FY 09 and identifies some of the specific output and outcomes expected from these activities.
EPA identified (8) National EJ Priorities in 2005, which each program and regional office has been asked to work to address and document these commitments in their EJ Action Plans:
1-Reduce Asthma Attacks, 2-Reduce Exposure to Air Toxics, 3-Fish and Shellfish Safe to Eat, 4-Water Safe to Drink, 5-Revitalization of Brownfields and Contaminated Sites, 6-
Ensure Compliance, 7-Reduced Incidence of Elevated Blood Lead Levels, 8-Collaborative Problem-Solving
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