The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global, legally binding treaty was agreed to by Governments in January and formally adopted as international law and was opened for signature on the 10th of October 2013. The Convention was adopted by 139 Governments and signed by 87 Governments by that date.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cutting emissions from gold ore processing and production facilities with a new standard that will reduce annual mercury emissions by more than 75 percent from 2007 levels.