Keeping mercury out of the environment

Through a stakeholder process, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is developing a plan to reduce mercury releases in Minnesota by 2025. This will have implications for many Minnesota businesses, which will need to reduce their mercury emissions.

Minnesota has taken a number of steps to keep mercury out of the environment.

• Minnesota was the first state to prohibit using mercury in dry-cell batteries;
• The mercury from thermostats, thermometers, gauges, medical and scientific equipment, electrical devices, motor vehicles and household appliances must be removed for reuse or recycling before these products can be disposed of or scrapped;
• Fluorescent lamps must be disposed of at special facilities licensed to recycle the mercury;
• Certain toxic substances, including mercury, are prohibited in inks, dyes, pigments, paints or fungicides as well as in any packaging products;
• MPCA permits for incinerators include limits on the amount of mercury they may release.

Other states have also adopted many of these laws. The federal government has adopted several laws to prevent mercury releases as well, including banning using mercury as an agricultural fungicide and in latex paints.

What you can do

Consumers

Consumers can help keep mercury out of the environment by:

• Avoiding buying products containing mercury;
• Not discarding mercury-containing products in their household trash. Take them to your county household hazardous waste collection facility (contact your county solid waste officer for location and hours);
• Taking their used fluorescent bulbs to a licensed fluorescent lamp recycling facility;
• Checking to be sure the mercury will be removed from their appliances and cars when they are accepted for scrap;
• Conserving energy, which reduces the need for utilities to burn coal;
• Supporting other efforts to prevent mercury contamination.

More information on how to reduce mercury release and contamination is available from the following:

• Keeping Your Family Safe from Mercury (p-p2s4-07)
  Keeping Your Family Safe from Mercury
• Cleaning Up Spilled Mercury in Your Home (hhw-mercuryspills)
  Cleaning Up Spilled Mercury in Your Home
• Fluorescent light bulbs: Use them, recycle them (w-hhw4-31)
  Fluorescent light bulbs: Use them, recycle them
• Collecting and Managing Household Mercury Thermometers (w-hhw2-03)
  Collecting and Managing Household Mercury Thermometers

• Fish consumption advice (Minnesota Department of Health)
  The Minnesota Department of Health provides advice on how often fish can safely be eaten.

Businesses

Businesses can help keep mercury out of the environment in many of the same ways. Business operators should also be aware of these laws:

• Hazardous waste regulations
• Toxics in packaging laws;
• Laws on the labeling and sale of mercury and mercury-containing products;