King County hoping to switch off source of mercury emissions

2005 Archived News

King County is backing legislation in Olympia that could reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment. House Bill 1731 will be heard Tuesday, February 15 at 1:30 pm hearing room D of the John L. O'Brien building. It requires automakers to remove mercury switches from old vehicles before they are shredded or melted.

"Although it is beyond the state's power to control all mercury emissions, many sources can be controlled -- including the mercury contained in automobiles," said Alexandra Thompson of King County's Solid Waste Division. "A modest investment upfront can prevent the high cost to human health and the environment when mercury is released into the environment."

Mercury switches conduct electricity for automatic car trunk or hood lights. As long as the mercury remains in the switch there is not a problem. But, when the car reaches the end of its useful life, and is cut or ground for scrap and recycled, mercury can be released into the environment.

The legislation being debated in Olympia requires vehicle manufacturers to establish and fund a system for the removal and safe management of at least 90 percent of the mercury switches in scrap vehicles. New cars on the road do not contain mercury switches, however, mercury switches will be in scrap vehicles for the next 10 to 15 years. The Clean Car Campaign has estimated that in Washington State 430 pounds of mercury were released into the environment in 2003 by vehicles being recycled.

The legislation was developed by a coalition of auto recyclers, steel shredders, steel mills, local governments, and environmental organizations including the Automotive Recyclers of Washington, Nucor Steel, Schnitzer Steel, Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries, WashPIRG, Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation, and the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, WA. It follows a nationwide trend toward product stewardship where natural resources are protected by requiring the manufacturer of a product to invest upfront in its proper disposal at the end of its useful life.

King County's support of this legislation is part of a larger effort to partner with private sector organizations to reduce toxins in our environment. Currently, King County is conducting a pilot program to help public and private organizations safely remove as many as 500 mercury switches annually from their fleet vehicles. And, recently, the county has worked with a local drug store chain to collect 34,000 mercury thermometers, safely disposing of 755 pounds of mercury.

For more information, please contact Alexandra Thompson at 206-296-8454, or visit the Solid Waste Division Web site.