SR0724 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0724 LRB095 21396 RLJ 50707 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Many common consumer products contain hazardous materials; some of these materials, such as lead and mercury, which can be found in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), are persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals; when products containing these materials are improperly stored or disposed of and accidently break, they can contaminate the soil, groundwater, and air, posing a risk to human health and wildlife; and

WHEREAS, CFLs significantly reduce mercury, greenhouse gases, and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants and are two to three times more efficient than standard incandescent light bulbs, but concerns have been raised about the safety of CFLs because all models contain mercury and some models contain lead; and

WHEREAS, Mercury is a persistent and toxic pollutant that bioaccumulates in the environment; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health recognizes that the developing nervous systems of fetuses and children could be damaged if exposed to small amounts of methylmercury; at high doses, methylmercury can affect the central nervous system causing health problems such as memory loss and slurred speech; and methylmercury can cause kidney damage, kidney failure, and gastrointestinal damage; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, municipalities, IKEA, and Ace Hardware offer CFL collection programs for proper recycling, but the vast majority of CFLs end up in landfills or trash incinerators where the hazardous substances in CFLs can get released into the environment; and

WHEREAS, Approximately two percent of household CFLs and thirty percent of commercial CFLs are recycled in the United States; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge CFL manufactureres and retailers to voluntarily implement CFL collection programs to ensure that more CFLs are properly recycled.