----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 9:43 PM
Subject: E-M:/ "FIRST IN THE NATION"
MERCURY LAW passed in Rhode Island
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enviro-Mich
message from "Anne Woiwode" <anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
With
growing interest in local units in Michigan passing mercury
control
ordinances, this looks like an exciting prospect --
AW
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sheila Dormody, Clean
Water Action (401) 331-6972
Michael Bender, Mercury Policy Project (802)
223-9000
Rhode Island Passes First-in-the-Nation
Legislation to
Prevent Mercury Pollution
Providence, RI-In a precedent-setting
national first, the Rhode Island
General Assembly passed legislation on
June 29, 2001 for eliminating mercury
pollution, phasing out mercury
products, requiring manufacturer "take back"
programs, and reducing human
exposure to mercury.
The bills, H-6161 and S-661 sponsored by
Representative Peter Ginaitt and
Senator John Tassoni, passed unanimously
and featured several components
that
have not passed in any other
state, including:
· Phasing out the sale of products containing
mercury (e.g. thermostats,
sphygmomanometers, manometers) sold in Rhode
Island over the next six years.
· Requiring manufacturers to "take back"
product discards containing mercury
sold in Rhode Island by holding them
responsible to establish effective
collection programs.
· Requiring
state dental insurance contracts to include coverage for
non-mercury
fillings at no extra expense to the state employee.
"We strongly
encourage Governor Almond to sign these landmark mercury bills
into law
immediately," said Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island director of Clean
Water
Action, one of the environmental groups leading the campaign
to
support
the legislation. "Rhode Island has the opportunity to set the
standard
nationally with these efforts to protect the public, and future
generations,
from this dangerous toxin."
Mercury is a dangerous
toxin that is released into the environment through
coal burning, use and
disposal of products containing mercury and threatens
the environment,
wildlife and human health. Eating fish contaminated with
mercury can cause
damage to the nervous system. Growing babies are
especially
vulnerable--therefore pregnant women should not eat
mercury-contaminated
fish. Data from a recent Center for Disease Control
study found that
at least one in ten women of childbearing contain mercury
in
their
bodies at levels not considered protective. According to the
National
Academy of Sciences, prenatal mercury exposure can later hurt
children's
ability to remember, pay attention, talk, draw, run and
play. Scientists
estimate that if all man made mercury pollution
would stop today, it would
take 15 years or more before mercury levels in
fish were at safe levels.
"By holding producers responsible for the
often costly collection of
hazardous mercury products, they'll now have an
added incentive to not use
toxics materials," said Michael
Bender of the Mercury Policy Project.
"Cities, counties and states
across the U.S. will now view Rhode Island as
the national model for
reducing mercury pollution by shifting the burden of
responsibility to the
manufacturer."
Before passing this legislation, Rhode Island received a
D-the lowest grade
in the region-on a report card released yesterday by the
Zero Mercury
Campaign.* The report graded progress made by each New England
state toward
the goals of eliminating mercury emissions by 2010 and
protecting the public
from mercury contaminated fish. (The report is
available at
www.mercurypolicy.org.) When Governor
Almond signs the legislation, Rhode
Island's grade will improve to a
C+.
*The New England Zero Mercury Campaign consists of environmental
and public
health organizations from across New England. In Rhode Island,
Clean Water
Action and the Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter have joined the
campaign to
call for zero mercury use, release and exposure by 2010 and
graded the Rhode
Island efforts to achieve this
goal.
###
==============================================================
ENVIRO-MICH:
Internet List and Forum for Michigan Environmental
and Conservation Issues
and Michigan-based Citizen Action. Archives at
http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/
Postings
to: enviro-mich@great-lakes.net
For info, send email to
majordomo@great-lakes.net
with a one-line message body of "info
enviro-mich"
==============================================================