Waste 2 Resources > Mercury-Containing Lights > Rule Making

Adoption of the Mercury-Containing Lights Product Stewardship Program Rule

November 2012, Ecology adopted final rules for the Mercury-Containing Lights Product Stewardship Program created by the law: Mercury Containing Lights - Proper Disposal ( Chapter 70.275 RCW).

• Rule-making order CR103
• Adopted rule text
• Final cost benefit and least burdensome alternative analysis
• Concise explanatory statement/response to comments
• Rule implementation plan
• Rule adoption notice

Public Involvement

Ecology developed several ways to inform the public about this rule amendment to meet public involvement requirements in the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 34.05 RCW):

Web Site. Ecology regularly updates this rule development web page with information on rule activities, including how to comment on the proposed rule.

Email Notices (ListServ). Ecology created the mercury lights program product stewardship electronic mailing list (ListServ) to email information and notices to persons interested in the proposed rule amendments. Ecology encourages interested persons, including those involved with mercury lights and the public to sign up.

Public Meetings

Ecology hosted a public meeting and webinar to give an overview of the key issues related to this rule making and explain the different ways the public and stakeholders can participate in the rule-making process. This took place November 14, 2011.

Public Hearings. Ecology conducted one (1) public hearing where formal comments on this rule were accepted. This took place August 7, 2012.

Contact Information

For more information about the mercury lights program you may contact:
Kara Steward
(360) 407-6250
Washington State Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600

Milestones & Timeline

WAC 173-910, Mercury-Containing Lights Product Stewardship Program	Date
CR-101 Filed: PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY	October 21, 2011
Public Meeting #1: Notice of Public Meeting Agenda Presentation Meeting Notes Documents pertinent to the meeting: Chapter 70.275 RCW FAQ sheet Mercury Lights Product Stewardship Plan Guidelines	November 14, 2011
Informal Comment Period Draft Rule Public Notice Received Comments	Feb 27 - Mar 9, 2012
CR-102 Filed: PROPOSED RULE MAKING Proposed rulemaking - CR-102 Proposed rule text Preliminary cost benefit analysis Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) Environmental Checklist Rule proposal notice	July 27, 2012
Public Hearing: Bellevue, WA 1:00 PM Ecology NW Regional Office - Room 1 A/B/C 3190 160th Ave SE Bellevue, WA 98008-5452	August 7, 2012
Close of Formal Comment Period (8/14)	August 14, 2012
CR-103 Filed: RULE-MAKING ORDER Rule-making order CR103 Adopted rule text Final cost benefit and least burdensome alternative analysis Concise explanatory statement/response to comments Rule implementation plan Rule adoption notice	November 16, 2012
Effective Date of Rule (effective 31-days after filing)	December 17, 2012