Section V – Mercury Pollution Controls:
1 Introduction
This section sets out a summary of New Zealand’s current controls on pollution from mercury and examples of controls in other countries which may have similar risk level to New Zealand’s. The majority of controls in New Zealand are not specific to mercury, but are general controls that are in place for controlling hazardous substances and their effects. Overseas, some jurisdictions have imposed specific controls to limit the polluting effects of mercury.
This section looks at general legislative controls in New Zealand and then considers specific standards or guidelines for air and water. The section then outlines some controls in other countries, including controls in the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). The section concludes with a comparison of New Zealand and international guideline values.
