ERCO: Taking Mercury-Free Chlorine Production to the Bank
On August 8, 2007, ERCO Worldwide announced its commitment to switch it's Port Edwards, Wisconsin chlorine plant to mercury-free technology. ERCO's plant emitted more than 1,200 pounds of mercury into the air in 2005, making it the biggest mercury emitter in the state - responsible for 28 percent of the state's total mercury air emissions.
ERCO had attempted to gain a special electric rate earlier in 2007 and hinged the plant's conversion on that lower rate; however, the rate was not granted and, at the time, declined to make a commitment to switch. Despite not recieving its requested electric rate, ERCO has determined that switching to mercury-free technology is still economically beneficial for the company.
Switching to mercury-free technology has tremendous benefits for the citizens of Wisconsin for public health and the environment as a whole. It also has financial benefits for the company itself. ERCO projects that switching to mercury-free technology will increase energy efficiency by 30 percent and will allow the facility to expand capacity by 30 percent as well. Furthermore, the life of the facility will be extended by 25 to 30 years, securing the jobs at the plant for decades to come.
Oceana had been pressuring ERCO to upgrade to mercury-free technology since the beginning of its campaign in 2005.
ERCO Timeline
January, 2005
26th - Oceana launches its Campaign to Stop Seafood Contamination by publishing its first report, Poison Plants, a detailed report about mercury-emitting chlorine plants. This report was well received by the press and garnered enough coverage to break Oceana's media record. This report is regarded as the first time mercury-cell chlorine plants were publicly exposed as major mercury polluters.
February, 2005
22nd - Oceana writes to all six chlorine companies currently operating mercury-cell plants asking for a meeting to discuss the prospects for switching.March 2005
22nd - Oceana rallies outside of the Chlorine Institute's annual meeting in Baltimore, encourages the few remaining mercury-based chlorine plants to go mercury free and to stop giving the entire industry a bad name. Oceana calls on the Chlorine Institute to make mercury free production a condition of membership.
April, 2005
19th - Oceana Campaign Director writes to ERCO Worldwide Plant manager to ask whether they will consider shifting. He replies "we are considering our options."
22nd - Oceana receives letter from the Chlorine Institute saying the companies are doing a lot to reduce mercury releases. This was a letter in response to our letter to the companies sent February 22nd.
26th - Oceana releases public opinion survey showing nearly 9 out of 10 oppose mercury technology for chlorine plants
June ,2005
23rd - Oceana files comments on ERCO Worldwide Hazardous Waste Permit, urging the DNR to deny issuance of the permit because the company did not acknowledge there was a mercury free alternative to its operation, and because of the detrimental effects of mercury. Unfortunately, the Department issued the permit.July 2005
27th - Oceana writes to Paul Timmons, President of ERCO Worldwide asking for a meeting to explore the possibility of shifting to mercury free technology.
October, 2005
16th - Oceana posts a community organizer in Wisconsin to focus on raising awareness about mercury emmissions from the ERCO Worldwide facility.
Week of October 31st - Oceana organizer generates 77 local activists' calls to ERCO plant manager asking for shift to mercury-free production.
November, 2005
4th - Oceana WaveMakers write to chlorine companies (emails) asking that they shift to mercury free technology. January 2006
19th - Oceana organizer hosts hair testing for local community at a local church, and has 63 volunteers participate in hair testing.
22nd - Oceana organizer hosts visibility event outside of the plant and takes a tour of the plant with a reporter and two volunteers.
24th - Oceana publishes Poison Plants II, an update to the Poison Plants on mercury-emitting chlorine plants
April, 2006
4th - Oceana and National Resource Defense Council rally at the Chlorine Institute's annual meeting releasing an NRDC report called "Lost and Found" documenting mercury releases from chlorine factories and presenting a petition signed by 15,000 demanding a shift to mercury-free technology. We also delivered dozens of cans of tuna with the message "we found your lost mercury!"
July, 2006
11th - Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) introduces S. 3631: Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act, designed to end the use of mercury in the production of chlorine by 2012. At the same time, he introduces S. 3627 to prohibit the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy from selling, distributing, or transferring elemental mercury, to prohibit the export of elemental mercury.
19th - Oceana Campaign Director, Jackie Savitz and consultant Eric Uram meet with ERCO Worldwide Plant Manager Steve Hieger and VP for Chlor-alkali, Norm Christiansen at the plant in Port Edwards. ERCO informs us it is considering shifting, if it can get a reduced power rate, approved by the state's Public Service Commission.
August, 2006
6th through 11th - International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant was held in Madison Wisconsin, convening over 1,100 mercury experts from around the world. Oceana and NRDC teamed up to release the results of mercury air testing conducted outside of the ERCO plant.
October, 2006
1st - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel publishes an Op-Ed written by Jackie Savitz and Eric Uram urging the Public Service Commission to consider a power deal that will facilitate a shift to mercury free technology at ERCO Worldwide, but to be careful not to allow the company to benefit from a mercury trading program.
12th - Public Service Commission hearing to determine whether ERCO will get its power rate. Eric Uram submits testimony for Oceana.
24th - Wisconsin Business publishes an Op-Ed written by Jackie Savitz and Eric Uram urging the state not to let ERCO trade mercury emissions credits if it gets its power deal.
January, 2007
11th - Wisconsin Public Service Commission Denies ERCO's special power rate. Oceana urges ERCO to still switch to mercury-free technology.
30th - Pioneer Announces its intention to shift to mercury-free technology at its Louisiana chlor-alkali plant.
February, 2007
21st - Oceana bestow's MOMMIE AWARD on ERCO Worldwide. Award is for "Best Commotion Picture of the Year" for An Inconvenient Electric Rate - ERCO created a stir in 2006 when it requested a discount on electricity for its Port Edwards, WI chlorine plant. ERCO said the savings would help pay for a switch to mercury-free technology, but when the deal fell through, ERCO was left with a dilemma: hide behind a convenient excuse or accept an inconvenient rate? The MOMMIEs didn't know the answer-they said they were "just suckers for melodrama."
July, 2007
18th - Oceana releases Cleaning Up: Taking Mercury-Free Chlorine Production to the Bank, a report documenting how the remaining five plants that refused to eliminate mercury in their chlorine production could be more profitable if they use mercury-free technology.
19th - Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) reintroduces the Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act in response to Cleaning Up.
August, 2007
8th - ERCO Worldwide announces it will be switching to mercury-free technology at its Port Edwards facility.
