Can chlor-alkali plants continue to store their mercury on-site?
Yes. The elemental mercury that chlor-alkali facilities store on-site remains a commercial chemical product and its storage is not barred by federal environmental statutes as long as it is not discarded. This is the case whether the facility continues to operate a mercury cell process, converts to a non-mercury process, or shuts down the plant. State or local restrictions may apply, however. After the establishment and operation of the DOE facility, mercury being stored at chlor-alkali plants can continue to be stored as a product. However, if storage continues over a long period of time, or if the supply of commodity-grade mercury exceeds domestic demand, EPA may assess on a case-by-case basis the legitimacy of a claim that elemental mercury storage does not constitute discard. View a full discussion (PDF) (5 pp, 305K). Top of Page What incentive will elemental mercury holders have for paying the Department of Energy to store and manage elemental mercury instead of storing it themselv
