Environmental policy and legal framework for controlling mercury emissions from stationary sources: a case study in Taiwan

In recent years, the Taiwan government partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Global Mercury Partnership program to follow the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Due to the most important mercury (Hg) emissions from the stationary vent streams, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has promulgated the strict standards and limits for industrial facilities. In this work, the legal framework for Hg control will focus on the main generators, including coal-fired power plants, cement-manufacturing plants, metal-smelting plants, and waste incineration plants, under the Air Pollution Control Act and the Waste Management Act. Based on the official survey data, the updated analysis of inventory Hg emissions in Taiwan was performed to echo the sustainable material management of Hg-containing waste by the recovery methods, showing a downward trend in the Hg emissions during the period of 2016–2020. To reduce the discharge into the atmospheric environment, the multiple air pollution control devices for Hg emissions from the main stationary sources in Taiwan were also reviewed in this work. Some recommendations for controlling Hg emissions from the stationary sources were also addressed to provide for the policy makers, environmental engineers, and process manager.