BAN BATTERY AND FLUORESCENT

LIGHT BULB DISPOSAL

House Bill 4798

Sponsor: Rep. Liz Brater

Complete to 8-1-00

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4798 AS INTRODUCED 6-17-99

House Bill 4798 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to prohibit the disposal of fluorescent light bulbs and certain batteries in landfills and municipal solid waste incinerators.

The bill would specify that fluorescent light bulbs and the following batteries could not be disposed of in municipal solid waste incinerators, nor in landfills:

Alkaline manganese, lead acid, mercuric oxide, nickel cadmium, or zinc carbon batteries, as defined under the act.

Lithium batteries (defined to mean solid-state batteries with a lithium anode, an iodine-polyvinyl pyridine cathode, and an electrolyte consisting of a layer of lithium iodide).

Silver oxide cell batteries (defined to mean those with a primary cell in which depolarization is accomplished by an oxide of silver).

Zinc-air batteries (defined to mean those containing a carbon-based gas diffusion electrode as the cathode, a zinc anode, and an alkaline electrolyte).

House Bill 4798 would also specify that the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste incinerator could not knowingly incinerate prohibited articles (at present the act specifies only that a municipal solid waste incinerator may not incinerate used oil).

Analyst: R. Young

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.