Minnesota Legislators Introduce Mercury Switch Bill

A state of Minnesota representative and a state senator have introduced bills that aim to mandate the collection of mercury switches before they are crushed and shipped to a consumer.

House File 2123 was introduced by Rep. Ray Cox Feb. 16; while a Senate bill, SB 1935, was introduced by Sen. Scott Dibble (to view the HFF 2123 click on the following link).

The goal of both bill would be to put a “bounty” on the mercury switches.

While all parties agree to the importance of collecting the mercury auto switches from junked cars, problems are arising over what group will be responsible for paying for the removal.

Rep. Cox notes: “The purpose of the bill is to remove the mercury switches from the vehicles before they are crushed. Recovery on the front end is less expensive than removal of the mercury later.”

The bill is proposing a $1 charge for each mercury switch collected, and would be paid by the automobile manufacturer.

But at its first hearing before the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, there were so many conflicting claims and options, committee members deferred a vote until this week.

According to local press reports, the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance estimates there are 4,800 to 8,100 pounds of mercury in the more than 4 million passenger vehicles registered in the state. That level will decline each year as more aging cars are taken off the road. Automobile manufacturers stopped using mercury for the switches several years ago.

The house bill is expected to hear testimony in the Environmental Planning Policy Committee some time this month. Cox hopes that the bill will receive a full hearing by next month.