COSTA RICA: DEMARCHE ON MERCURY ISSUES AT 24TH

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000017 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/ENV (HFINMAN) AND OES/PCI (LSPERLING) SAN SALVADOR FOR AID (ADIX) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PREL ETRD EMIN SOCI AORC CS SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: DEMARCHE ON MERCURY ISSUES AT 24TH SESSION OF UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL REF: 06 STATE 202028 ¶1. SUMMARY: Environment Ministry contacts confirmed that the GOCR had not yet considered mercury issues in the context of the February 5-9 UNEP Governing Council meeting. Ministry advisor Maria del Pilar Alfaro noted that a ban on the international trade or primary mining of mercury could impact Costa Rica's health sector, which relies on older medical equipment that uses mercury. She observed that any domestic mercury voluntary reduction strategy would need to be preceded by a mercury use/stockpile inventory, which does not yet exist in Costa Rica. Alfaro added that the GOCR and U.S. EPA are close to finalizing a USD 10,000 agreement on replacing mercury-based thermometers and that discussions are underway with UNITAR on a second project. END SUMMARY. ¶2. REO raised requested demarche (reftel) on January 4 with Environment Ministry Directorate of Environmental Quality Management (Direccion de Gestion de Calidad Ambiental - DGCA) technical advisor Maria del Pilar Alfaro and on January 5 with Director of International Cooperation Ruben Munoz. Both confimed that the Ministry of Environment has not yet considered mercury issues in the context of the upcoming February 5-9 United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Governing Council meeting in Nairobi. ¶3. Alfaro said that Costa Rica does not produce mercury. She noted that Costa Rica,s health sector, whose aging but serviceable equipment requires mercury, is the country,s most important user of the substance. Little if any mercury is currently used in the mining sector. She predicted that a phase-out of mercury mining or a ban on mercury trade, &while ideal,8 would have a major impact on Costa Rica,s health system, which currently lacks the funds to upgrade its equipment to non-mercury dependent equipment. ¶4. Alfaro flagged in particular Costa Rica,s need to develop a mercury stockpile inventory, the first step towards a domestic mercury reduction strategy. The Health Ministry is undertaking a tentative catalog of mercury use in the health sector. Should an inventory be developed, the GOCR would have a more complete sense of its exposure to an international prohibition against mercury trading and possible approaches for reducing mercury use. ¶5. Alfaro said that the government had two mercury-related projects under development. First, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and (EPA) and the GOCR are close to signing a letter of understanding for a USD 10,000 project to phase out mercury-based thermometers. Second, preliminary discussions are underway between the GOCR and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) on a mercury-related project. LANGDALE