• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.364-373
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• 2012

The United Nations Environmental Program Governing Council has regulated mercury as a global pollutant since 2001 and has been preparing the mercury convention, which will have a strongly binding force through Global Mercury Assessment, Global Mercury Partnership Activities, and establishment of the Open-Ended Working Group on Mercury. The European Union maintains an inclusive strategy on risks and contamination of mercury, and has executed the Mercury Export Ban Act since December in 2010. The US Environmental Protection Agency established the Mercury Action Plan (1998) and the Mercury Roadmap (2006) and has proposed systematic mercury management methods to reduce the health risks posed by mercury exposure. Japan, which experienced Minamata disease, aims vigorously at perfection in mercury management in several ways. In Korea, the Ministry of Environment established the Comprehensive Plan and Countermeasures for Mercury Management to prepare for the mercury convention and to reduce risks of mercury to protect public health.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2018

The Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force on August 16, 2017. It requires Parties to the Convention to control and, where feasible, reduce mercury emissions from the listed sources. To implement the Convention, Japan amended the Air Pollution Control Law and added clauses that force operators to control their mercury emissions below emission limit values (ELVs). The ELVs have been established separately for new and existing sources, targeting the source categories listed in the Convention: coal-fired boilers, smelting and roasting processes used in the production of non-ferrous metals (lead, zinc, copper and industrial gold), waste incineration facilities and cement clinker production facilities. The factors used to establish the ELVs include the present state of mercury emissions from the targeted categories as well as the mercury content in fuels and materials, best available techniques (BATs) and best environmental practices (BEPs) to control and reduce mercury emissions and ELVs or equivalent standards to control mercury emissions in other countries. In this regard, extensive data on mercury emissions from flue gas and the mercury content of fuels and materials were collected and analyzed. The established ELVs range from $8{\mu}g/Nm^3$ for new coal-fired boilers to $400{\mu}g/Nm^3$ for existing secondary smelting processes used in the production of copper, lead and zinc. This paper illustrates the ELVs for the targeted source categories, explaining the rationales and approaches used to set the values. The amended Law is to be enforced on April 1, 2018. From future perspectives, checks of the material flow of mercury, following up on the state of compliance, review of the ELVs and of the measurement and monitoring methods have been noted as important issues.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.193-207
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• 2016

This study discusses the present status of mercury emission and distribution from major anthropogenic sources in Korea and the future trend of mercury emission by activity changes and application of BATs. Atmospheric mercury emission from major anthropogenic sources based on Annex D of Minamata convention was estimated to around 4.89 tonne in 2012. Emission ratios of cement clinker production, coal-fired power plant, waste incineration and non-ferrous metal smelting were 68.68%, 24.75%, 6.29% and 0.28%, respectively. High mercury emission regions were characterized by the presence of cement clinker production facilities and coal-fired power plants. Prediction of future activities was carried out by linear regression of the previous year data. The (total) mercury emission was estimated to decrease up to 48% Under the scenario of BATs to be applied and the change of future activities. Emissions from coal-fired powerplants and cement clinkers were expected to decrease significantly.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.161-198
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• 2014

The idea of creating an International Space Exploitation Agency (tentative title: hereinafter referred to ISEA) is only my academic and theoretical opinion. It is necessary for us to establish ISEA as an international organization for the efficient and rapid exploitation of natural resources in the moon and other celestial bodies. The creation of ISEA as a new international organization is based on the Article 11, 5 and Article 18 of the 1979 Moon Agreement. In order to create it as a preliminary procedure, it needs to make the Draft for the Convention on the Establishment an ISEA among the space-faring countries. The main contents of this paper is composed of (1) introduction, (2) joint exploitation of the natural resources (Heliumn-3, etc.) in the moon and ISEA, (3) activities for the exploitation of moon and other celestial bodies by the space-faring powers, (4) legal problems and Solution for the exploitation and mining rights of the natural resources in the moon, mars and celestial bodies, (5) procedure of creating an ISEA, (6) the principal points that need to be included in the draft for the ISEA convention, (7) conclusion. The creation of an ISEA would lead to a strengthening of the cooperation among the States deemed essential by the global community towards joint undertakings in space and would act as a catalyst for the efforts on the exploitation of the natural resources moon, mars, Venus, Mercury and other celestial bodies and allow resources, technology, manpower and finances to be centrally managed in an independent fashion to the benefit of the space-faring countries. It is desirable and necessary for us to create ISEA in order to promote cooperation in the field of space policy, law, science technology and industry etc. among the space-faring countries. The creation of the ISEA will be promoted the international cooperation among the space-faring countries in exploration and exploitations of the natural resources in the moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury and other celestial bodies. Finally, it should be noted that the political drive will be necessary not only to set up the organization ISEA, but also study a subsequent measures. It is also necessary for us to create the ISEA in order to develop the space industry, to strengthen friendly relations and to promote research cooperation among the space-faring countries based on the new ideology and creative ideas. If the heads (president or prime minister) of the space super-powers including the UNCOPUOS will be agreed to establish ISEA at a summit conference, 1 believe that it is possible to establish an ISEA in the near future.