(ALBANY, NY) The Senate and Assembly passed legislation late Friday night that will reduce mercury pollution in New York, after coming to an agreement on the bill language earlier in the week.
The Mercury Thermostat Collection Act (S.1676A/A.8084), championed by Senator Mark Grisanti and Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, will require thermostat manufacturers to collect and safely dispose of mercury-containing thermostats, a major source of mercury in the waste stream.
“This is a significant win for the environment,” said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with the New York Public Interest Research Group. “Over the years, New York has taken great strides to reduce mercury pollution. This bill addresses one of the largest remaining sources of mercury pollution in New York, the hundreds of thousands of mercury-containing thermostats that are discarded each year. We commend Assemblyman Bob Sweeney and Senator Mark Grisanti for their hard work, cooperation, and perseverance in getting this bill over the finish line.”
“The passage of this legislation is one of the most important environmental victories in Albany this year,” said Marcia Bystryn, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We salute Senator Mark Grisanti and Assemblyman Bob Sweeney for their many years of hard work and advocacy on behalf of this critical legislation, and we applaud the Assembly and Senate for approving one of our top priorities of 2013.”
“Not only does mercury have a profound effect on the environment, but it also causes severe damage to public health, especially in developing babies and children,” said Kathy Curtis, executive director of Clean and Healthy New York. “It’s high time the New York State Legislature took action, and we applaud the leadership displayed by Assemblyman Sweeney and Senator Grisanti.”
“Mercury pollution makes fish unsafe to eat, and impairs children’s ability to walk, talk, and learn,” said Sarah Eckel, Legislative and Policy Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “By passing legislation to increase safe disposal of mercury thermostats, New York is addressing a significant and lingering source of mercury pollution. CCE commends Senator Grisanti and Assemblyman Sweeney for their leadership in protecting our environment and public health from dangerous mercury pollution.”
“Mercury is a known environmental toxin,” said Saima Anjam, Governmental Affairs Program Associate at Environmental Advocates of New York. “By requiring safe disposal, we are reducing preventable pollution and protecting public health and wildlife.”
“The NYS Legislature confronted a much-needed environmental issue by voting to keep mercury in thermostats out of our waste stream,” said Caitlin Pixley, Conservation Associate of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “By working together, the Senate and Assembly have helped reduce the amount of toxic mercury in our air, water, and natural places. The Sierra Club applauds the sponsors, Assemblyman Bob Sweeney and Senator Mark Grisanti, on their hard work to get this important legislation passed and in working to get toxins out of New York’s environment.”
“Mercury pollution is a preventable problem that has harmed the Adirondacks and other parts of New York for far too long,” said William C. Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council. “We commend the sponsors for taking these steps to prevent it.”
“This legislation will help to reduce the amount of mercury getting into our waste streams and reaching our wastewater treatment plants and ultimately our waterways,” said Paul Gallay, President and Hudson Riverkeeper. “We commend Senator Grisanti and Assemblyman Sweeney for their leadership and recognition of the threat that mercury poses to public health and the environment.”
“This law addresses several obstacles that prevent the current voluntary collection system from achieving substantial results—namely, the lack of aggressive performance goals and financial incentives,” said Scott Cassel, chief executive officer of Product Stewardship Institute. “We hope that, with the new system of checks and balances, collection rates in New York will improve as they have following the approval of thermostat stewardship laws in Maine and Vermont.”
The legislation requires thermostat manufacturers to collect 15,500 thermostats in 2015, and requires the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to establish annual collection goals thereafter. This measure will put New York in line with other states that have adopted strong mercury thermostat collection laws. A report released earlier this year showed that with a collection rate of only 1 percent, New York currently ranks 37th in the nation for the collection of discarded mercury thermostats.
While thermostats containing mercury are no longer sold in New York, they pose a serious environmental threat when they are disposed of improperly. Each year more than a ton of mercury ends up in New York’s landfills and waste combustion facilities from improperly discarded mercury thermostats. This legislation will help create a healthier environment throughout New York State, and reduce potentially harmful mercury impacts on our air, land and water resources.
Environmental and public health groups, together with municipal recycling officials, have been advocating for this legislation in New York since 2010. Groups supporting this legislation include the Adirondack Council, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clean and Healthy New York, Environmental Advocates of New York, the JustGreen Partnership, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York League of Conservation Voters, New York Public Interest Research Group, New York Product Stewardship Council, New York State Association of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3), Product Stewardship Institute, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and others. In addition, New York City and many other local governments have called on the state Legislature to adopt a mandatory thermostat collection program.
The bill now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s desk for signing.
