Prohibits the sale or offer for sale of electric lamps that contain mercury in excess of specified amounts; provides exceptions and fines for violations.

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S7004-2011 Actions

• Jun 12, 2012: referred to environmental conservation
• Jun 12, 2012: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• Jun 12, 2012: PASSED SENATE
• May 21, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• May 16, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• May 15, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.760
• Apr 20, 2012: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

S7004-2011 Meetings

Environmental Conservation: May 15, 2012

S7004-2011 Calendars

Active List: Jun 12, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 16, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 21, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 22, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 31, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 4, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 5, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 6, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 11, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 12, 2012

S7004-2011 Votes

S7004-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7004

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
prohibiting the sale or offer for sale of
electric lamps that contain mercury in excess of specified amounts

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation limits the amount of mercury that can be contained in
certain light bulbs.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates certain definitions and
states that certain lights including compact fluorescent lamps,
straight fluorescent lamps and non linear fluorescent lamps shall be
considered. Further contains definitions for normal lifetime and long
lifetime light bulbs. Contains definitions for producer of lighting
and produce of lighting that contains mercury. This section also
contains definitions of special purpose lighting.
Section 2 states that produce of lighting shall not sell lighting that
contains mercury content that is above acceptable levels for
different types of light bulbs.
Section 3 states that any person except in certain violations of this
act are subject to a civil penalty.
Section 4 This section states that any person knowingly or
intentionally violating is punishable by a civil penalty not to
exceed $10,000 for a first violation and $25,000 for a second penalty.
Section 5 is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
With the Federal Government outlawing incandescent
light bulbs to help save energy most individuals are now moving
towards fluorescent light bulbs which save energy. However, these
light bulbs contain sometimes significant amounts of mercury which is
a significant environmental hazard when it enters the waste stream.
As a result of this movement towards fluorescent lights it is
imperative to limit the amount of mercury they contain so as to not
allow it to enter our waste stream.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 180th day.

S7004-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    7004

                              I N  SENATE

                               April 20, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

  AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
    prohibiting  the sale or offer for sale of electric lamps that contain
    mercury in excess of specified amounts

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  Section  27-2101 of the environmental conservation law is
  amended by adding five new subdivisions 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 to read as
  follows:

    30. "LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY" MEANS AN ELECTRIC LAMP, INCLUDING
  COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS,  STRAIGHT  FLUORESCENT  LAMPS  AND  NONLINEAR
  FLUORESCENT  LAMPS,  TO  WHICH  MERCURY  OR  MERCURY COMPOUNDS ARE ADDED
  DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.
    31. "LONG LIFETIME" MEANS 25,000 HOURS OR MORE WHEN TESTED ON AN ELEC-
  TRONIC BALLAST, INCLUDING T8 INSTANT START BALLASTS  AND  T5  PROGRAMMED
  START BALLASTS, AND TURNED OFF AND ON EVERY THREE HOURS.
    32.  "NORMAL  LIFETIME" MEANS LESS THAN 25,000 HOURS WHEN TESTED ON AN
  ELECTRONIC  BALLAST,  INCLUDING  T8  INSTANT  START  BALLASTS   AND   T5
  PROGRAMMED START BALLASTS, AND TURNED OFF AND ON EVERY THREE HOURS.
    33.  (A) "PRODUCER OF LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY" MEANS ANY PERSON
  THAT:

    (I) MANUFACTURES AND SELLS LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS  MERCURY  UNDER  ITS
  OWN BRAND;
    (II)  RESELLS  UNDER  ITS  OWN  BRAND  LIGHTING  THAT CONTAINS MERCURY
  PRODUCED BY OTHER SUPPLIERS;
    (III) IMPORTS OR EXPORTS LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY ON  A  PROFES-
  SIONAL BASIS; OR
    (IV)  SERVES  AS THE IMPORTER OR DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTOR OF LIGHTING THAT
  CONTAINS MERCURY IF THE BRAND NAME  OWNER  IS  LOCATED  OUTSIDE  OF  THE
  UNITED STATES.
    (B)  "PRODUCER  OF  LIGHTING  THAT  CONTAINS  MERCURY" DOES NOT MEAN A
  RESELLER OF LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY IF THE BRAND OF THE  MANUFAC-
  TURER OF THE LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY APPEARS ON THE LIGHTING.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD15328-02-2

 S. 7004                             2

    34.  "SPECIAL PURPOSE LIGHTING" MEANS APPLIANCE LIGHTING, BLACK LIGHT-
  ING, GERMICIDAL LIGHTING, BUG LIGHTING, COLORED LIGHTING,  PLANT  LIGHT-
  ING,  STRAIGHT  FLUORESCENT  REFLECTOR  LIGHTING, REPROGRAPHIC LIGHTING,
  SHATTER RESISTANT LIGHTING,  COLD  TEMPERATURE  LIGHTING  AND  THREE-WAY
  LIGHTING.
    S  2. Section 27-2107 of the environmental conservation law is amended
  by adding three new subdivisions 11, 12 and 13 to read as follows:

    11. A PRODUCER OF LIGHTING THAT CONTAINS MERCURY MAY NOT  SELL,  OFFER
  FOR  SALE  OR  DISTRIBUTE  IN THIS STATE ANY ELECTRIC LAMPS THAT CONTAIN
  MERCURY IN AN AMOUNT EXCEEDING, PER LAMP, THE FOLLOWING MERCURY  CONTENT
  STANDARDS:

    (A)  4  MILLIGRAMS FOR SCREW-BASED COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS LESS THAN
  25 WATTS;
    (B) 5 MILLIGRAMS FOR COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS EQUAL TO OR  MORE  THAN
  25 WATTS AND LESS THAN 40 WATTS;
    (C) 3 MILLIGRAMS FOR STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT T5 LAMPS WITH A NORMAL LIFE-
  TIME;
    (D) 4 MILLIGRAMS FOR STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT T8 LAMPS WITH A NORMAL LIFE-
  TIME;
    (E)  5 MILLIGRAMS FOR STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT T5 AND T8 LAMPS WITH A LONG
  LIFETIME;
    (F) 15 MILLIGRAMS FOR T12 8-FOOT STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT LAMPS.
    12. THE MERCURY CONTENT STANDARD SPECIFIED IN  SUBDIVISION  ELEVEN  OF
  THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO 8-FOOT MODELS OF STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT T8
  LAMPS.
    13.  THE  MERCURY CONTENT STANDARDS SPECIFIED IN SUBDIVISION ELEVEN OF
  THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO:

    (A) HIGH-OUTPUT, AND VERY HIGH-OUTPUT, STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT LAMPS MORE
  THAN 32 MILLIMETERS IN DIAMETER;
    (B) MOGUL BI-PIN BASED LAMPS;
    (C) PREHEAT STRAIGHT FLUORESCENT LAMPS OF ANY SIZE;
    (D) SPECIAL PURPOSE LIGHTING; OR
    (E) HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMPS.
    S 3. Subdivision 1 of section 71-2724 of the  environmental  conserva-
  tion  law,  as  added  by chapter 145 of the laws of 2004, is amended to
  read as follows:

    1. Any person who knowingly or intentionally violates any provision of
  or fails to perform any duty pursuant to  title  twenty-one  of  article
  twenty-seven  of this chapter, except subdivision one of section 27-2105
  AND SUBDIVISION ELEVEN OF SECTION 27-2107 of this  chapter,  shall  upon
  the  first finding of such a violation be liable for a civil penalty not
  to exceed one hundred dollars. Any  person  convicted  of  a  second  or
  subsequent  violation  shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed
  five hundred dollars for each violation.
    S 4. Section 71-2724 of the environmental conservation law is  amended
  by adding a new subdivision 2-a to read as follows:

    2-A.  ANY  PERSON  WHO KNOWINGLY OR INTENTIONALLY VIOLATES OR FAILS TO
  PERFORM ANY DUTY IMPOSED BY SUBDIVISION ELEVEN  OF  SECTION  27-2107  OF
  THIS  CHAPTER  OR ANY OF THE PROVISIONS, RULE, OR REGULATION PROMULGATED
  PURSUANT THERETO SHALL BE PUNISHABLE IN THE CASE OF A  FIRST  VIOLATION,
  BY A CIVIL PENALTY NOT TO EXCEED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.  IN THE CASE OF A
  SECOND  AND  ANY  FURTHER  VIOLATION, THE LIABILITY SHALL BE FOR A CIVIL
  PENALTY NOT TO EXCEED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH VIOLATION.
    S 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
  it shall have become a law.