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Maine Recovers 17,000 Mercury Switches
Maine - Maine has rescued at least 16,896 mercury switches from junked cars since the state approved the nation's first mandatory switch recycling program two years ago, according to a study released Monday by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The independent survey of junkyards counted more than five times as many switches as the state had previously reported, since many small operations are stockpiling the switches before turning them in, they told NRCM.
Overall, the program is considered a modest success, with the state Department of Environmental Protection estimating that 20 percent to 30 percent of all switches are now accounted for, said John James of the department's Waste Management Bureau.