Mercury

Mercury is a dangerous metal that can be breathed.  Unlike lead, it is still commonly used in consumer and healthcare products.  Virtually all of these uses are unnecessary.  IKE has taken a two-part approach.

1.    Stop the deliberate, non-essential use of mercury, especially in consumer products:  IDEM and the Indiana Regional Household Hazardous Waste Task Force already have a strong voluntary education program to reduce consumer use of mercury-containing products.  Another industry that commonly uses mercury is the healthcare system.  The leader in this field is the Health Care Without Harm coalition. In Indiana, Reid Hospital in Richmond is the leader.  It also uses voluntary educational approaches. 

Complementing the voluntary approaches that have been used, IKE is taking the following action.

• Using a right-to-know approach to keep mercury out of medical waste and seeking to have the regulatory agencies fully enforce the regulations they have in place.  See attached article for details.
• Set clean and reasonable standards for municipalities that need a variance from water quality standards in order to discharge mercury into surface water.  The mercury enters their system from the rain, from households, from the healthcare industry and from some manufacturers.  Once in the wastewater they receive, they have virtually no method to get it out.  Prevention is the only realistic option.  IKE organized a January 4, 2000 stakeholder meeting to discuss these standards.

2.    Educate the public on the tangible impacts of mercury on their health.  See the following links.

• Indiana's Mercury Awareness Program (MAP):  IDEM and the Indiana Regional Household Hazardous Waste Task Force have a comprehensive educational program for homeowners.  In 1998, Indiana residents took over 2000 pounds on mercury to local collection programs.  
• IDEM Mercury Search Worksheet:  An excellent worksheet for parents and for kids to help them identify where mercury is in their home.
• Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory:  Mercury is detected in virtually all tested fish in Indiana.  The levels are high enough, that the state has issued a Fish Consumption Advisory for mercury (as well as PCBs).  For a geographical depiction of the locations of the most serious advisories, see IDEM's 1999 State of the Environment Report on Mercury.  See also article in IKE's April 2000 Newsletter.
• IDEM Mercury Thermostat Reduction and Recycling Program:  Most non-digital furnace thermostats contain mercury.  There are better and safer alternatives.  IDEM has a program where contractors that install thermostats don't install a mercury thermostat unless the customer insists and recycles the mercury thermostats they remove.