Mercury Map
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Potential sources of elemental mercury in the United States that may require long term storage include: 1) DOE mercury currently stored at the Y-12 complex on the Oak Ridge Reservation; 2) chlor-alkali facilities still using mercury cell technology; 3) mercury generated as a byproduct of gold mining; and 4) waste recovery and recycling from consumer products. Only the four chlor-alkali facilities shown on the map are expected to still be using mercury cell technology beyond 2010. Mining in the State of Nevada accounts for more than 80% of gold production in the United States and therefore the majority of byproduct mercury production. Alaska is an active gold mining state; however, the mines in this region do not produce byproduct mercury. As reported by the United States Geological Survey in 2009, the six recovery and recycling companies shown on the map account for the majority of secondary mercury reclamation and recycling efforts.



Sources: (Chlorine Institute 2008); (EPA 2005); (Miller 2005); (NMA 2009); (Szumigala 2009); (USGS 2009)