Alabama Promotes Mercury Switch Recovery Program

Alabama Promotes Mercury Switch Recovery Program

MONTGOMERY, Alabama, (ENS)

30th March 2007

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management, ADEM, is making an effort to reduce mercury releases to the environment.

ADEM officials met with automotive recyclers March 20 in Montgomery to review a new, voluntary program to remove mercury switches from vehicles. The program is designed to collect and properly dispose of mercury before the automobiles are crushed or shredded for recycling.

"We are pleased to be involved in this project," said ADEM Director Trey Glenn. "We are making a concerted effort to reach Alabama’s automotive recyclers to educate them on the specifics of this program to help safeguard our environment." Earlier this month, ADEM mailed more than 440 letters to automotive, steel, and scrap industries to announce the program.

End of Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS), a non-profit organization established to collect switches and properly dispose of the mercury, will pay recyclers for collecting and turning in the switches.

Many vehicles manufactured prior to 2003 have mercury switches in lighting and antilock braking systems. If the switches are not removed before recycling or the steel melting process, the mercury can be emitted into the air.

To prevent this, the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program was started last August. The program is a collective effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Council of the States, state environmental agencies, automotive steel and scrap industries, and environmental groups. Across the country, the EPA estimates 67 million switches are available for recovery.