Ore. environmental group releases mercury report

The Oregon Center for Environmental Health (OCEH) released a report Tuesday documenting the claim that thermostat makers have collected less than 5% of the mercury thermostats coming out of service over the last 10 years.

The OCEH is calling for passage of a mandatory state collection program that includes incentives to spur improved collections and performance standards to ensure meaningful progress.

“The manufacturers should stop spinning the meager results of their collection program and instead provide real incentives to bring in old mercury thermostats," Mari Anne Gest, executive director for OCEH said in a statement.

In 1998, the “Big 3” thermostat manufacturers, Honeywell, General Electric Co., and White-Rodgers, created the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) to collect and recycle used thermostats.

Find the report at www.mercurypolicy.org.