Policies & Legislation

Mercury and Product Stewardship

Federal Policy & Legislation

US Legislation: Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (PDF file, 46KB)
S 906, known as the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, was signed into law on October 14, 2008 as Public Law No: 110-414. The law prohibits the export of elemental mercury from the United States beginning on January 1, 2010. The law also prohibits all federal agencies from selling or distributing mercury to agencies and private parties, require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report to Congress on mercury compounds that may currently be used in products or processes, and establish the Excess Mercury Storage Advisory Committee.

National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program
Nationally, on August 11, 2006, representatives from the vehicle manufacturers, steelmakers, vehicle dismantlers, vehicle shredders, environmental community, states and the US EPA signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program. The program, designed to remove mercury-containing light switches from scrap vehicles before the vehicles are flattened, shredded, and melted to make new steel, is the result of a two-year collaboration. In February 2008, the program collected its millionth mercury-containing automotive switch, which represents more than one ton of mercury that has been removed from the environment. The goal of the program is to collect 80 to 90 percent of available mercury switches by 2017.

Use the menu on the left to find more information on the status of mercury product stewardship legislation in the Pacific Northwest, other US States or other countries. To learn about the problems associated with mercury and what other organizations are doing to reduce mercury use and releases, see our Mercury Products page.

NWPSC Policymakers Bulletin - Mercury: Highly Toxic and Costly Challenge (PDF file, 421KB) This Policymakers' Bulletin explains the problems with products that contain mercury and how local governments in Washington and Oregon are making mercury reduction a top priority. Find out how product stewardship legislation can shift the costs of managing end-of-life products from local governments to those that produce and use the product.