There is a significant amount of research and development activity related to mercury issues taking place in Canada, the US and internationally. CEA co-ordinated the compilation and reporting on a quarterly basis, of Canadian and international mercury related research and development activities and findings. The information gathered continues to provide a foundation for informed decision-making in the Canadian context.
CEA member companies are engaged in a number of initiatives to analyse the effectiveness of mercury pollution control and measurement technologies. Many of these programs involve the key experts in the field from North America. Member companies are also working together under the Canadian Clean Power Coalition (CCPC) to conduct significant research in new technologies to minimise emissions of mercury as well as other pollutants and greenhouse gases from coal-fired boilers.
The program was designed with quality-assurance and information value as the principal drivers. Sample collection, handling, and storage followed standard procedures, where practicable, as agreed among the companies and the respective provincial governments. Quality-assured analyses was conducted on mercury and other key substances associated with mercury.
As a result of increased pressure to reduce mercury emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric power generation facilities and the absence of commercially demonstrated mercury reduction technologies for mercury, considerable research and development activity in this area has been underway and moving rapidly. The electricity sector decided to formally track and assess progress on mercury research and development related to monitoring and control technology. The information gathered continues to provide a foundation for informed decision-making in the Canadian context.
CEA co-ordinated the compilation and reporting on a quarterly basis, of Canadian and international mercury related research and development activities and findings that allowed electricity, government and NGO stakeholders in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Canada Wide Standard for Mercury process to keep up to date with key developments in mercury control and monitoring technologies. CEA contracted the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UND EERC) to conduct this work.
Health Canada currently states that there is no conclusive evidence of any harm caused by exposures at levels normally found in Canadian living and working environments. For more information, visit the Health Canada EMF information page at: