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WYDEN, TALENT INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO CURB
GROWING PROBLEM OF HARMFUL ELECTRONIC WASTE
Tons of harmful chemicals from e-waste
could threaten the environment
and public health each year if not properly recycled;
Legislation jumpstarts a nationwide electronic waste recycling
infrastructure
March 3, 2005
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jim Talent (R-Mo.) today introduced
legislation that would give consumers and industry tax incentives
to safely dispose of old or outdated personal or office electronics,
which contain a number of hazardous toxins including lead, mercury
and cadmium. Harmful e-waste is a large and growing problem in
the United States, with some experts estimating that more than
150 million tons of electronic equipment were disposed of in 2004
alone. The Electronic Waste Recycling and Promotion and Consumer
Protection Act of 2005 would provide incentives to create the
first-ever nationwide electronic waste recycling infrastructure,
making it more convenient and cost-effective for American consumers
to recycle computers, computer monitors, laptop computers and
televisions. The proposed legislation also directs the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of
various e-waste recycling programs to recommend a national program.
“Growing mountains of
e-waste are clogging our nation’s landfills and posing great
risks to Americans’ health and to our natural environment,”
said Wyden. “As technology improves and folks get newer
and faster computers, they need a safe and easy way to get rid
of their old machines. This legislation gives consumers, recyclers,
retailers and manufacturers alike incentives to recycle old computers
responsibly.”
“Americans don’t
want to throw their electronic scraps out with the garbage, but
without a recycling infrastructure, sometimes the only alternative
is stockpiling them in their homes,” said Talent. “We
want to provide an incentive for people to recycle electronic
waste and create an infrastructure that makes the process as convenient
and cost-effective as possible. This is a common sense idea that
will help protect our land, air and water from toxins such as
lead, mercury and other hazardous materials contained in electronics.”
Specifically, the Wyden-Talent e-waste recycling bill would:
• Establish an $8 per
unit tax credit for companies that recycle at least 5,000 display
screens or computer system units per year.
• Establish a $15 tax
credit for consumers who recycle their old computers and TVs,
provided they use qualified recyclers.
• Prohibit the disposal
of any electronic equipment containing a display screen greater
than four inches or any computer system unit in a municipal solid
waste landfill, beginning three years after the bill is passed.
This provision is contingent upon the EPA Administrator finding
that a majority of U.S. households have reasonable access to e-waste
recycling.
• Modify the EPA’s
Universal Waste Rule to classify display screens and system units
as “universal wastes” to allow for easier collection,
processing, transportation and recycling.
• Require federal executive
agencies to ensure that every display screen or system unit procured
by the government is recovered and recycled.
• Direct the EPA Administrator
to study and make recommendations to Congress on the feasibility
of establishing a nationwide recycling program that would preempt
any state plan, within one year.
Currently, some states are developing
e-waste recycling programs; however, no such program exists on
a national level. A unified, national program may ultimately be
desirable for consumers because manufacturers and retailers frequently
have a difficult time adhering to different standards under various
state laws. Under the current system, states that do not enact
their own recycling laws can become dumping grounds for those
that ban e-waste disposal.
A number of groups have expressed
their support for the approach taken in the Wyden-Talent e-waste
recycling bill, including the National Recycling Coalition, the
Environmental Technology Council, the Consumer Electronics Retailers
Coalition, Waste Management Corporation, Hewlett Packard Corporation
and Intel Corporation.
The bill is expected to be referred
to the Senate Finance committee, of which Senator Wyden is a member.
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