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The Metropolitan Emergency Agency responded to another two cases of dangerous mercury levels in Ulaanbaatar during the past week. Waste water at the Bayan-Burd complex had up to five times more mercury than is standard, while some mercury was spilled at a local restaurant.

Environment Minister G.Shiilegdamba made an order prohibiting the use of mercury for mining and extract minerals in Mongolian territory. “However Mongolia prohibits importing mercury but foreigners using mercury much and the hazard of mercury are became occurred not a few times in public places. Thus I have been influenced into making the order.” The order prohibits all foreign and domestic mining operations using mercury to extract gold. The ban follows a spate of mercury poisoning, some of which appears to be deliberate.
Two weeks ago, a large quantity of mercury was spilled in the street of ‘Bogd Ar’, with police investigating local citizens. Last Friday, a tube of wastewater in the Bayan-Burd complex was poisoned, with forced the closure of a public swimming pool, sauna, aerobic center and Chinese restaurant.

Officials took air and water samples from the site and later revealed that mercury in the air contained mercury five times more than the normal standard. They are searching for a man who left the mercury in a bathroom washstand. The complex will remain quarantined until the mercury levels normalize, according to the MEA.
On Monday, mercury was also spilled in a local restaurant, although testing showed nothing was poisoned.
The spill resulted in several illegal citizens being arrested. The MEA said that no one has been poisoned by the mercury spills.

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