Mercury is a neurotoxin that accumulates in the food chain and can
damage the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. It has been linked to
attention deficit disorder in children, and is particularly hazardous
to developing fetuses and young children. Poison control centers and
emergency rooms took 18,000 calls in 1998 because of broken mercury
fever thermometers.
Fish consumption advisories exist
in 40 states due to mercury contamination. Broken thermometers, which
each contain one-half gram of the substance, are a big source of the
pollution. That half gram is sufficient to spoil the water in 200
Olympic-sized pools, or 5 million gallons. There are better
alternatives to poisonous mercury thermometers, such as digital and
glass with alcohol or galinstan.
Mercury emissions
from coal-fired power plants lead to contamination of our nation's
waterways. Fish eating advisories are in place in many states that
recommended a limited consumption of fish from certain waterways. New
technologies are making mercury emissions control more economical.
Several
agencies and local governments have taken steps to phase out mercury
thermometers. In 1998, the American Hospital Association signed an
agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promising to
phase out the use of mercury thermometers among its members.
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On January 5, 2006, Illinois Governor Blagojevich proposed a strong
set of mercury pollution control standards. The proposal would require
coal plant owners to install modern pollution control equipment to
reduce mercury pollution by 90 percent or more by June 30, 2009. Unlike
other state mercury reduction efforts that involved some sort of
legislative catalyst, the Illinois effort appears to be an executive
directive from the Governor to the Illinois Pollution Control Board
(PCB) to establish agressive mercury reduction rules for power plants.
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Under a compromise agreement, legislation was passed into law in May
2006 that requires Minnesota's largest coal-fired power plants to cut
mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2015. Utilities
were brought on board by allowing immediate recovery from ratepayers
the cost of installing the necessary pollution control equipment.
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In March 2003, environmental organizations including Clean Water
Action, the Connecticut Coalition for Clean Air, and the Clean Air Task
Force along with electric utility PSEG Power Connecticut (owner of the
375-megawatt Bridgeport Harbor coal-fired power plant) issued a joint
recommendation to the Connecticut General Assembly for legislation
establishing stringent new mercury emission standards for the state's
coal-fired power plants. The legislation sets a national precedent for
controlling power plant mercury emissions.
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In May 2002, New Hampshire became the first state in the country to
adopt rules to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power
plants. The new law establishes a multiple pollutant reduction program.
In addition to CO2, the final version of the new law (HB284, NH Laws of
2002, Chapter 130) establishes caps on emissions of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides by existing fossil fuel electric power plants and also
requires a reduction in mercury pollution. This law permits the banking
and trading of emissions reductions credits to achieve compliance with
the caps. The NH Department of Environmental Services is directed to
establish an integrated strategy to reduce emissions, including the use
of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The new law went into effect
July 1, 2002.
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Comments
Mercury from CF Lightbulbs worse than thermometers?
If you promote banning thermometers, common sense tells me that you would vigorously oppose the compact fluorescent lightbulb? The threat of mercury pollution due to disposal issues and normal breakage seems greater. Why not?
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NEW RULES PROJECT RESPONSE: The amount of mercury in a single thermometer is often more than 100 times the amount in a CFLs. Having said that, we should be striving to move towards agressive recovery of mercury in bulbs and towards mercury free lighting sources. The experts in this area are the Mercury Policy Project (www.mercurypolicyproject.org). In a 2008 report, MPP concludes:
"...sensitive populations should take extra precautions to reduce risks associated with breakage, but says that CFLs generally can and should still be used in everyone’s homes until a nontoxic light bulb becomes available. The report also recommends the adoption of more comprehensive environmental and human health guidelines by decision makers that, in addition to energy-efficiency, address other concerns, including:
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