from Mikhail A. Ilyushchenko,, Vladimir Y. Panichkin, Paul Randall, and Rustam I. Kamberov writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:
In 1975, a mercury cell chlor-alkali facility in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan began operations. This facility is located at the Pavlodar Chemical Plant (PCP) and began operations when mercury cell technology was at its peak in the former USSR. For a number of reasons, this plant had the highest rate of mercury use among similar designs (estimated at 1500 g of mercury per ton of caustic soda produced). After the collapse of the USSR in 1992, the facility was shut down. Despite a poor economy, scientists, PCP administrators, local environmental NGOs, regional authorities, and local politicians of Kazakhstan persisted to reduce mercury contamination that was inherited from the former USSR military-industrial establishment. Due to financial support from the European Union (EU) and the United States (i.e. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) as well as contributions from Ukrainian scientists, field research was conducted. This research consisted of comprehensive monitoring of the atmosphere, soils, surface water and groundwater to determine the environmental risks posed by localized mercury 'hotspots' that occurred from mercury cell production losses of about 1310 tons of metallic mercury.
Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications