The Partnership Area works to significantly minimize and where feasible, eliminate global mercury releases to air, water, and land that may occur from chlor-alkali production facilities. Its objectives are to: ■■ Prevent the construction of new mercury-cell chlor-alkali production facilities; ■■ Reduce mercury emissions and use from existing mercury-cell facilities; ■■ Encourage conversion to non-mercury processes; ■■ Reduce or eliminate mercury releases from waste generated by chlor-alkali production facilities including waste from conversion to non-mercury processes; and ■■ Promote environmentally-sound options for storage of surplus mercury to limit downstream releases from surplus mercury generated by the conversion, phase-out, or closure of mercurycell chlor-alkali facilities.