2004 -- H 7527 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC01299/SUB A

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2004

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY URGING THE MERCURY REDUCTION OVERSIGHT COMMISSION TO

PREVENT MERCURY POLLUTION FROM ELECTRONIC WASTE

     Introduced By: Representatives Handy, McNamara, Naughton, Cerra, and Long

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2004

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

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     WHEREAS, The Mercury Reduction Oversight Commission has the mission to prevent

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human sources of mercury from contaminating the environment (air, water, soil); and

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     WHEREAS, The Mercury Reduction and Education Act prohibits the disposal of

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mercury-added products by means other than recycling or hazardous waste disposal as of July

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2005; and

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     WHEREAS, Computers, cell phones and other electronic products contain mercury as

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well as lead, chromium, cadmium, polyvinyl chloride, mixed plastics, beryllium, brominated

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flame retardants and other hazardous substances, and therefore pose a threat to human health and

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the environment if improperly disposed of at the end of their useful life; and

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     WHEREAS, Electronic waste (e-waste) is a significant and growing problem for

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governments that currently bear the burden of managing them; and

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     WHEREAS, According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 1997

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more than 3.2 million tons of e-waste ended up in landfills; and

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     WHEREAS, Discarded e-waste is the fastest growing portion of the United States waste

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stream; and

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     WHEREAS, The Central Landfill in Johnston, Rhode Island is the final resting place for

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Rhode Island's discarded e-waste and recycling it would conserve needed landfill capacity; and

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     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, over 4 million computers, televisions, and monitors will

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become trash by 2011; and

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     WHEREAS, Costs for collecting and properly recycling 95% of this e-waste will cost

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Rhode Islanders an estimated $42 million from 2006 – 2011; and

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     WHEREAS, The full extent of the public health threat and environmental contamination

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resulting from electronic equipment entering the waste stream through disposal into landfills or

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incinerators is unknown, but it is estimated that seventy percent of the heavy metals in municipal

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landfills come from electronic discards; and

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     WHEREAS, An effective electronics recycling system must be convenient and minimize

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costs to taxpayers and to consumers of electronic products; and

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     WHEREAS, Producers of electronic products and components should be responsible for

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ensuring proper handling, recycling and disposal of discarded products and that costs associated

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with consolidation, handling and recycling be internalized by the manufacturers of electronic

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products and components before the point of purchase; and

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     WHEREAS, A system of producer responsibility for the collection and recycling of

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covered electronic devices is the most effective and equitable means of keeping this toxic waste

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out of the landfill, alleviating the full financial and physical burden placed on the state and local

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governments for handling e-waste, while also providing a powerful incentive for manufacturers to

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reduce toxins and redesign products for recycling; and

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     WHEREAS, Producers of electronic devices and components should have the flexibility

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to act in partnership with each other, with state, municipal and regional governments and with

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businesses that provide collection and handling services to develop, implement and promote a

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safe and effective electronics recycling system for the state; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby respectfully urges the Mercury Reduction Oversight Commission

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to develop a plan to address the collection and recycling of electronic waste in a manner that is

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convenient and minimizes costs to taxpayers and to consumers of electronic products; and be it

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further

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby respectfully urges the Mercury Reduction Oversight Commission

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to submit to the general assembly no later than January 30, 2005 a recommended plan, including

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any legislation necessary to implement the plan, for the collection and recycling of electronic

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waste that utilizes producer responsibility; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Chair of the Mercury Reduction Oversight

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Commission and all of the commission members.

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LC01299/SUB A

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY URGING THE MERCURY REDUCTION OVERSIGHT COMMISSION TO

PREVENT MERCURY POLLUTION FROM ELECTRONIC WASTE

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     This act would require that producers of electronic waste be financially and

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environmentally responsible for this waste and its disposal.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC01299/SUB A

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