Engineering News

...isn't there mercury in thermometers? So why don't America make a lot of thermometers and sell them to the world?

It might be better than dumping it in some poor country…

America doesn't make anything anymore, Quobaldt. You'll have to talk to the Chinese.

If pollution is a substance that is in the wrong place, then what's wrong with putting the mercury back in the ground in the same chemical and physical form, and in the same place from which it was extracted?

...can we put oil back in the ground?

I think who ever can convert "stuff" (like radio-active materials) back to its original form will have enough money to affort a wife and a mistress (or two)...

GA PW !! You beat me to it. Since the mecury comes out of the ground why not just put it back there? There must be some deep mine shafts way below the water tables somewhere. It's not like it will just bubble back up to the surface. Being heavy like it is, it will only want to go deeper. Water will sit on top of it.

Just don't store it in aluminum containers.

wouldn't you be able to just dump it in a volcano's. wouldn't that just destroy it?

What? And erupt it all over the surrounding area?

Sounds good to me. The company I work for used to have mercury contaminated waste. I understand that it was sent somewhere to be burned up.

I think each state should be responsible far their own messes. Why should one state get the crap that another state doesn't want? Sure not all states will have what is considered the proper environmental storage facility. Such as the big salt mine that they want to use far nuclear waste storage. But if you make the waste you should have to figure out a way to properly store or dispose of it in your own areas. As long as there are accepted guidelines being followed by all of the storage or treatment facilities then it makes more sense to me to either treat or store in the state that made the crap to begin with. I don't want my neighbors trash in my yard anymore than he wants mine in his.