Re: Mercury Management

[Tim Tuominen <p2team@cp.duluth.mn.us>]

Reply:  

I know of two mercury stills that take used mercury and distill it (or
retort) to remove impurities.  Of course it is made available for
re-use...which is means it could again be mismanaged as a waste.  But I
guess its the best we can do for now since like "nuke" waste there is no
permanent repository for it.  ... Sorry I get carried away...  The mercury
recyclers I know about are Bethleham Apparatus in Hellertown, PA 610
838-7634 and Mercury Refining in Latham, NY 800 833-3505.  Many flouresent
light recylers collect the powder from the lights and send it on to a still.
One place in MN Recyclights does lamps and distills the mercury:
Recyclights 800 831-2852. 

At 03:27 PM 2/4/97 -0500, you wrote:
>    FROM: R. Illig
>    RE: Management of Mercury
>    E-MAIL: illig.richard@a1.dep.state.pa.us
>    
>    One and All,
>    
>    Over the past few months, in Pa., problems have arose involving 
>    the handling of mercury.  It seems that a small spill of mercury 
>    in a high school resulted in the evacuation of the school until a 
>    clean-up was performed.  Students at another school, finding this 
>    an interesting way to get some time off, spilled mercury down 
>    stairwells, again resulting in evacuation, etc.  This was followed 
>    by an accident inwhich a dropped thermometer containing mercury 
>    created another problem in a school lab.  To make a long story 
>    shorter, the state has offered to perform FREE mercury pick-ups 
>    (for residents) to allow non-industrial types to get the stuff off 
>    their hands without a disposal problem.
>    
>    1)  I would like to caution anyone, anywhere, that they may see 
>    fit to head-off such problems in advance.  Offer collection points 
>    for the stuff, old mercury thermometers, barometers, or other such 
>    devices.  Warn people about the liabilities.
>    
>    2)  Now, the state has to deal with the management of the mercury.  
>    Disposal should NOT be an option.  Scrap dealers want paid to 
>    manage the mercury.  We figure the material may have more value 
>    than that (although we are not looking to make money off this 
>    deal).
>    
>    Can anyone suggest a good way to deal with collected mercury or 
>    mercury-containing devices??  (We are looking at mercury lamp 
>    recyclers as one possible outlet.)
>    
>    YOUR help will be greatly appreciated (provided your answer does 
>    not involve the use of dead chickens...is anyone feeling 
>    hen-pecked?).
>    
>    Ric
>    
>    
>
Tim Tuominen
WLSSD
2626 Courtland Street
Duluth, MN   55806

Phone:  218.722.3336 x324
Fax:  218.727.7471
Email: p2team@cp.duluth.mn.us