AB 2347 (Ruskin, 2007-08) Mercury Thermostats Collection
Summary.
Requires a manufacturers that sold mercury-added thermostats in this state before January 1, 2006, to establish and maintain a collections and recycling program for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats.
Position and Status.
CAW Supports. AB 2347 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 29. Previously, the measure passed out of the Senate Aug. 18 with a 26-13 vote, the full Assembly April 21 with a 47-28 vote, Asm. Appropriations Committee with a vote of 12-5 and the Asm. Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee April 1 with a 5-0 vote.
Description.
Mercury thermostats should be kept out of our air and water because on average they contain over 3,000 milligrams of the toxin. It is estimated that only 5 percent of California's mercury thermostats are properly managed.
The bill would require a collection and recycling program for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats, meeting certain requirements, to be established on and after April 1, 2009. AB 2347 would require a wholesaler that has a physical location in the state, to act as a collection site for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats.
CAW Staff Contact.
Mark Murray (916) 443-5422
Current Actions.
No current actions for this bill.
Assemblymember Ira Ruskin
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814
Supporters.
Californians Against Waste
CA Product Stewardship Council (co-sponsor)
Sierra Club California (co-sponsor)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Association
Association of Bay Area Governments
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Board of Supervisors of Marin County
Board of Supervisors County of Santa Clara
California Association of Sanitation Agencies
California Association of Environmental Health Administrators
California State Association of Counties
California Retailers Association
Catholic Healthcare West
Center for Environmental Health Oakland
Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority
Clean Water Action
City & County of San Francisco
City of El Cerrito
City of Oakland
City of Palo Alto
City of San Jose
City of Santa Monica
City of Sunnyvale
City of Union City
County of Sacramento
County of Napa, Department of Environmental Management
County of Yolo Board of Supervisors
Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority
Dominican Hospital (Santa Cruz)
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Electronics Takeback Coalition
Honeywell Inc.
League of California Cities
Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority
Marin Medical Center
Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital (San Andreas)
Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield
Mercy Medical Center Redding
Mercy San Juan Medical Center (Carmichael)
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Northern California Recycling Association
Planning and Conservation League
Regional Council of Rural Counties
San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments
San Luis Obispo County IWMA
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital (Grass Valley)
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Sonoma County Waste Management Facility
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital (Red Bluff)
St. Mary's Medical Center (San Francisco)
St. Joseph's Medical Center (Stockton)
Opponents.