Mercury reduction in Virginia

Mercury is an element that as a pollutant is at or near the top of the U.S. EPA’s lists of “Priority Chemicals”, those elements which pose the greatest risks to the environment and the public. As a result, the Virginia DEQ's Office of Pollution Prevention has worked to promote and coordinate statewide Pollution Prevention efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of mercury and mercury-containing products; and to collect unused elemental mercury for proper management and recycling. Virginia’s Mercury Reduction Initiative is part of the VA DEQ’s Waste Minimization commitments under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, and in support of EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities.

Virginia’s Mercury Reduction activities draw heavily upon the strengths of other successful mercury-related programs in other states and cities. In furthering this initiative, the Virginia DEQ is utilizing existing partnerships with industry mentors, state and local government, and the dental industry; and is creating new partnerships within federal government, the hospital and pharmaceutical industry, and local school systems. Essentially, the "initiative" is an assemblage of projects and partnerships to reduce or eliminate mercury.