What are the Federal And State Regulations for Mercury?
Federal Regulations
Mercury produces a hazardous waste. Every form of it
is toxic and yet mercury is an essential element in
millions of fluorescent lamps throughout the United
States and millions more throughout the world. State
and federal regulatory agencies are working to
reduce mercury releases to the environment. Since
January 1, 2000, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) has allowed for spent
lamps to be managed as Universal Wastes. The
Universal Waste Rules (UWR) are designed in part to
simplify the management of mercury-containing wastes
including spent fluorescent lamps. The Rules are
also intended to encourage recycling, thereby
reducing mercury emissions to the environment.
As
an alternative to managing lamps as universal
wastes, a facility may elect to manage its spent
lamps as hazardous wastes. Hazardous waste rules -
like the universal waste rules - are promulgated
under the federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act
(RCRA) and state laws equivalent to RCRA. RCRA
regulates hazardous wastes "from the cradle to the
grave." RCRA Subtitle C requires a waste generator
to properly identify, treat, store, transport and
dispose of hazardous wastes. The USEPA oversees the
RCRA program but has delegated to the States the
responsibility for the day-to-day management of the
program. (See State EPA office website links below
for more information concerning RCRA and the State
agencies which administer RCRA.)
State Regulations
Many State Governing agencies have adopted their own
regulations to dispose of Flourescent lights. In
the states of California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, it is unlawful for
anyone to dispose of fluorescent bulbs as universal
waste. Please check with your local state
environmental department to see what the regulations
are for you.
