News

Trash Talk: Mercury Disposal
By Mark Arienti, and the Gray Solid Waste Committee

In 2001 the State of Maine passed a law (38 MRSA Section 1661) banning disposal of mercury-added products at solid waste disposal facilities such as landfills or incinerators starting July 1, 2002. The reason for the law was to try to reduce the amount of mercury emitted into the environmental from these disposal facilities. Once in the environment, even low concentrations of mercury may bioaccummulate and make fish unsafe for human consumption and interrupt the reproductive systems of animals, such as loons, that eat these fish.

The law's definition of mercury-added products included the following items:
--thermostats and thermometers (just the old ones with the silver fluid in them, not the new electronic ones, which don't contain mercury);
--switches or other devices used to measure, control or regulate gas, other fluids or electricity (such as the lid light switch on a chest freezer)
--medical or scientific instruments (such as old-style blood pressure manometers)
--fluorescent lamps.

However, the law included an exemption until January 1, 2005 for these mercury-containing products when used in the home. This was referred to as the "homeowner exemption".

Now that January 1, 2005 has passed, however, the ban applies to everyone including us homeowners, so please if your have one of the items listed above and you want to get rid of it, make sure to keep it out of your regular trash. Instead, bring it in a separate container to Gray's Transfer Station and speak to the Director, Randy Cookson, or one of his assistants. They will be able to help you confirm whether the product does in fact contain mercury, and if it does, provide for recycle or safe disposal.

If you want to read more about the mercury disposal ban, check out the following web site: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/38/title38ch16-Bsec0.html.

We welcome your questions or comments! Feel free to join us at our monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of every month, or send your ideas or comments to the Gray Solid Waste & Recycling Committee care of pthoits2@maine.rr.com or call Solid Waste Director Randy Cookson at 657-2343.