LD 185
pg. 2
Page 1 of 2 An Act To Amend the Law on Mercury-added Products LD 185 Title Page
Download Bill Text
LR 382
Item 1

 
3.__Removal of certain mercury components when vehicle use
ends.__A person may not flatten, crush or bale a motor vehicle
for the purpose of sending it to a scrap recycling facility,__or
arrange for a motor vehicle to be flattened, baled or crushed for
that purpose, without first removing all mercury switches and
mercury headlamps, except that a scrap recycling facility may
agree to accept a motor vehicle that has not been flattened,
crushed or baled.__If a scrap recycling facility accepts such a
motor vehicle, the scrap recycling facility is responsible for
removing the mercury switches and mercury headlamps before the
vehicle is flattened, crushed, baled or shredded.__Upon removal,
the components must be collected, stored, transported and
otherwise handled in accordance with the universal waste rules
adopted by the board under subsection 8.

 
Sec. 5. 38 MRSA §1665-A, sub-§5, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 656, §3,
is amended to read:

 
B. Pay a minimum of $1 $3 for each mercury switch brought
to the consolidation facilities as partial compensation for
the removal, storage and transport of the switches and a
minimum of $4 if the vehicle identification number of the
source vehicle must be provided to receive this payment;

 
SUMMARY

 
This bill:

 
1. Authorizes municipal code enforcement officers to enforce
the prohibition on the crushing of motor vehicles without first
removing any mercury switches;

 
2. Defines the term "scrap recycling facility" as used in the
law governing removal of mercury switches from motor vehicles;

 
3. Prohibits the sale of mercury-added lamps after January 1,
2006 unless, as currently is the case for other mercury-added
products, the lamps have a label indicating that they contain
mercury;

 
4. Clarifies the prohibition of scrapping motor vehicles
without first removing any mercury switches; and

 
5. Increases the amount that automobile manufacturers must
pay in compensation for the costs of removing the mercury
switches from motor vehicles.


Page 1 of 2 Top of Page LD 185 Title Page