This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000451 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS EPA FOR CAM HILL-MACON AND S.HOFFMAN 
STATE FOR OES/ENV JOHN THOMPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV AORC ETRD PREL BR
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON MERCURY ISSUE AT UNEP 
 
REF: (A) STATE 01897, (B) EMAIL: FEB 10, 2005 
 
¶1.  EST Counselor provided REFTEL demarche points to Andre 
Correa do Lago, Head of the Division of Environmental Policy 
and Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs on Feb. 10.  As outlined in email, Correa do Lago 
said the GOB would like to consider the opinions of other 
countries which will be expressed during the debate on this 
issue at the upcoming UNEP GC meeting in Nairobi. After that 
meeting, and further internal debate within the GOB, a 
decision will be made. 
 
¶2.  If you believe the old saying that "actions speak louder 
than words," then chances are Brazil will eventually support 
the U.S. proposal, since it is actively supporting the 
development of a voluntary action plan to control mercury 
contamination in waters along with other Amazon Basin 
countries. At two meetings entitled "Regional Cooperation on 
Mercury Contamination in the Amazon Basin" that have already 
been held, co-sponsored by the South American Environmental 
HUB, Brazil's Ministry of the Environment officials have 
taken a leadership role in efforts to develop an action 
plan. 
 
¶3. Although Brazilian law expressly forbids the use of 
mercury in gold mining, mercury contamination from that 
source is prevalent. According to the expert Fausto Azevedo, 
current data indicates that atmospheric mercury emission in 
gold mining activities in Brazil are 77.9 tons per year, 
representing 67.3% of total mercury emissions in the 
country.  Several studies have shown that levels of mercury 
in riverside populations are much higher than accepted by 
WHO standards. 
 
¶4.  A recent environmental magazine reported that Brazil's 
Minister for the Environment, Marina Silva, still suffers 
from the effects of mercury poisoning from her youth. 
 
DANILOVICH