VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0017 0081959
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081959Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6940
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0792
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0304
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 0424
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 3547
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 0768
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 3852
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0434
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0490
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 0457
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1280
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0439
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 1503
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 3595
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0291

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