A.I.M. States: Legislation Regulating Mercury Complex, Inefficient and Costly.Business Editors BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2001 At a legislative hearing today, Associated Industries of Massachusetts (A.I.M.), an employer association of 5,400 Massachusetts companies, will urge members of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture to give an unfavorable report to legislation that seeks to establish a complex, inefficient and costly "one size fits all" program to ban or severely restrict products that contain mercury. At the hearing, A.I.M. will testify To provide evidence as a witness, subject to an oath or affirmation, in order to establish a particular fact or set of facts. Court rules require witnesses to testify about the facts they know that are relevant to the determination of the outcome of the case. that H.2217, An Act Regulating Products Containing Mercury, would create a sweeping, complex and intrusive regulatory structure to be administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP DEP Deposit DEP Deputy DEP Department of Environmental Protection DEP Dependent DEP Departure DEP Depot DEP Deposition DEP deployed (US DoD) DEP Data Execution Prevention (computer security) ). Provisions of the bill include banning certain products containing mercury such as thermometers outright, charge manufacturers of products containing mercury with collection/take back responsibilities, establish a complex exemption/regulation process, and designate des·ig·nate tr.v. des·ig·nat·ed, des·ig·nat·ing, des·ig·nates 1. To indicate or specify; point out. 2. To give a name or title to; characterize. 3. end-of-life mercury products as "hazardous waste Hazardous waste Any solid, liquid, or gaseous waste materials that, if improperly managed or disposed of, may pose substantial hazards to human health and the environment. Every industrial country in the world has had problems with managing hazardous wastes. ". Mercury is a ubiquitous element on earth, and while A.I.M. recognizes that additional efforts should be taken to reduce use and disposal of mercury, H.2217 does little to advance such efforts. Instead, the bill would distract attention and resources of both the public and private sector from developing effective solutions in the future. Commenting on the legislation, Robert Ruddock rud·dock n. Chiefly British An Old World robin (Erithacus rubecula) having olive-brown upper plumage and a conspicuous orange breast. , A.I.M.'s Executive Vice President - Legislative Affairs said, "the notion that Massachusetts on its own can achieve zero mercury exposure is sheer folly." Instead Ruddock said, "efforts and resources should be directed toward existing DEP's "universal waste rule" to more fully develop collection, recycling recycling, the process of recovering and reusing waste products—from household use, manufacturing, agriculture, and business—and thereby reducing their burden on the environment. and disposal practices and public education programs." |
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