Mercury Strategies
& Outcome Measures
Mercury Reductions 2006
|
Banned under MERA |
Goals |
Totals as of 11/4/2006 |
| Bulked Hg (schools) |
2600 lbs |
2400 lbs |
| Thermometers |
3,300 |
3,000 |
| Thermostats |
45/g/yr |
78 lbs |
| Manometers |
2,200 |
2,210 |
| Novelties |
No Data |
No Data |
| Hospitals |
400/yr |
800 lbs |
| Other Medical Waste (red bags) |
100 lb/yr |
85 lbs |
| Mining |
No Goal Set |
56 lbs |
| |
|
|
| Other Items |
|
|
| Button cell batteries |
8o lbs /yr |
32 lbs |
|
Fluorescent Lamps |
500 lbs/yr |
65 lbs |
| Amalgam |
300 lbs/yr |
800 lbs |
| Utility Switches & Relays |
500 lbs/yr |
70 lbs |
| Auto Switches |
200 lbs/yr |
41 lbs |

-
estimated results
Laws & Policies to Reduce Mercury Use & Releases
Industrial Releases
State regulations on mercury releases from wastewater
treatment, chlor-alkali plants, hazardous waste, municipal
solid waste incinerators.
Mercury Products
By Law Washington requires
- Labeling for mercury lamps.
- State government is required to purchase only low mercury
or mercury-free products.
- Sale
of mercury-containing novelties, thermometers, thermostats,
manometers, and automobiles with mercury
switches is prohibited.
- Schools are not allowed to purchase, use, or posses elemental
mercury.
By Policy
- Voluntary collection and recycling programs for mercury containing
products, elemental mercury, & mercury waste.
- Collected mercury goes to retort facilities.
- Funding provided to local governments for mercury lamp
recycling. Either the state or county pays for thermostat
collection bins, and King County provides a rebate for recycled
thermostats.
- Department of Ecology sent a letter to US EPA in 2004
highlighting the need for a national mercury repository
(required by legislation passed in 2003).
Public Outreach Efforts
Topics:
Sources, monitoring, disposal & clean-up, health effects, research,
& reduction progress
Outreach Tools:
Website, fact sheets, reports, brochures, workshops,
emails, press releases, business training, citizens training, &
phone hotlines
Languages:
Spanish, Korean, Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Mandarin,
Somalian, & Arabic
Targeted Constituencies:
Women of child-bearing age, pregnant women,
subsistence fishers, sport-fishermen, HVAC business owners, &
school administrators.
Unique Outreach:
Mercury education and outreach plan was mandated
by legislation.