Global agreement on reducing mercury exposure set to be ratified in 2016
With ongoing concerns over the toxic effects of mercury, a global commitment consisting of some 139 territories and nations have dedicated themselves to making the UN’s Minamata Convention on Mercury an international law. According to a recent news report*, the treaty gives these governments 15 years to put a stop to mercury mining. It has been signed by 92 governments, and shows their intention to follow the treaty, adjusting national law if and where necessary. The document is unlikely to be ratified until 2016 at the earliest – 50 governments will need to signatories in order for the law to be passed – and will not affect mining engineering processes that use mercury in small-scale gold mining. Bloomberg news** reported…