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THE DOG TRAINING CENTRE IN SOLLEFTEA - PARTNERS IN MERCURY DECONTAMINATION.Mercury - environmental problemMercury is one of the world's most serious pollutants. It can never be broken down nor destroyed through chemical reactions and therefore poses a threat to the environment far into the future. Micro-organisms in the soil and in water can change the poisonous metal into an even more dangerous combination methyl mercury which can accumulate throughout the food chain. Mercury with its unique properties has been used in many different products over the years. It is estimated that about 100 tonnes of the poisonous element are still present in products in use in Sweden today.The only way to protect the environment is to remove the mercury and deposit it in safe storage. The Swedish Parliament has concluded that mercury plays no part in the natural world and the use of mercury should be phased out by the year 2000. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to the government that the recovered mercury should be kept in "deep storage" with the highest levels of security. This year the Swedish EPA was commissioned by the government to show how mercury products can be more effectively and efficiently recovered. Further restrictive legislation and voluntary agreements are under consideration. All sectors of society agree that mercury contaminaton is a serious problem which must be addressed. Mercury Dogs - The Cost Effective SolutionIn laboratories and chemical store cupboards, in hospitals, doctors'surgeries and dentists' consulting rooms and throughout industry, mercurycan be found in sinks, drains and sewage systems. The Dog Training Centre now offers a mercury tracing service using sniffer dogs and dog handlers. The service enables the cost effective recovery of the mercury and prevents it being dispersed in the environment through refuse or in the sewage system. Using sniffer dogs benefits the environment and the customer's bank balance.Tests have shown that using the dogs protects the environment, saves time and money and generates goodwill. In 1998/9 more than 1,300kg of mercury were recovered from more than 1,000 schools taking part in the Swedish EPA project "Mercurius '98". A number of doctors' surgeries, dentists' rooms, laboratories and business premises participated in the project. The dogs traced hidden mercury in sinks and floors in almost 6,000 sites. German Shepherd Froy and labrador Ville Sigmund from the Dog Training Centre in Solleftea saved up to 12 million Swedish kronor (1.5 million American dollars) in reduced decontamination costs. The recovery of mercury in primary and secondary schools has been much better than expected, according to Kristina von Rein, project leader at the EPA. "Mercury was found on the shelves and in instruments, in sinks and between the floorboards," she said. The dogs' fantastic acheivements have attracted an avalanche of positive publicity from television, radio, newspapers, magazines and on the Internet in both Sweden and abroad. So far they have been the subject of more than 1,000 items, including 70 television programmes. Information/ The Dog Training Centre In SollefteaKjell Avergren Tel/ fax +46 302 32 679 kjell.avergren@hundskolan.seStefan Sundblad Tel/ fax +46 42 15 96 20, +46 706 74 30 85 sundblad@hundskolan.se Bengt Borg Tel +46 706 56 38 08 Jan Hjorth Tel +46 8 39 92 39, + 46 706 39 90 03 hjorth@hundskolan.se Information about Naturvårdsverkets mercury programKristina von Rein Tel +46 8 698 11 27 kvr@environ.se THE DOG TRAINING CENTRE IN SOLLEFTEA The Dog Training Centre in Solleftea, previously called the Swedish Dog Training School, has been owned since 1996 by SRF Iris Ltd, the parent company of the Swedish Association for the Visually Impaired group. The centre has trained working dogs for the visually impaired, the police, customs and the armed forces to the highest standards for more than 60 years. It also offers training courses for dog handlers and more general courses for dog owners. More recently the centre has been able to offer services using its own dogs for work with or without a dog handler. Our Mission Statement The Dog Training Centre works to help create a society in which people, companies and public organisations are more aware of the dangers caused by our way of life and work together to reduce those risks through cooperation, research and creativity. The Dog Training Centre, with its partners and customers, aims to develop products and services which: :: benefit dog owners. :: broaden opportunities for the disabled to lead independent lives. :: build on the working dogs' innate abilities to search out harmfulsubstances. :: make full use of the dogs' abilities to protect people and property. :: contribute to the good breeding and development of working dogs. The Dog Training Centre aims to be the professional market leader offering qualified, safe and efficient services, carried out by the best teachers, trainers, dogs and dog handlers in the world. The centre employs 45 permanent staff with another 70 independent dog trainers. | ||
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