Thankfully, the state of Maine is finally organizing a much needed disposal and recycling plan for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Many of us though it was irresponsible for state agencies to be involved as part of an even larger plan to market and promote the use of CFLs without a safe, easily accessible disposal network in place. Maine may be the first state to do this, but the Chicago Metro region recently announced a disposal plan (Chicago Tribune, May 13, 2007).

I’m impressed with the long list of area disposal sites, but I had to go online to find it (WLBZ2). Perhaps libraries could assist in making these lists available, including as printouts. It’s in everyone’s best interests to have CFL disposal sites at retail outlets. In fact, I propose that any business that sells CFLs should participate in the disposal network.

Questions still remain. Will any of the CFL disposal sites also take other (tubular) fluorescent bulbs? These are even more difficult to store until the time, typically once a year, that transfer stations will accept them. One list I saw showed Bangor to be particularly ill-served with transfer stations.

Better publicity is needed for cleaning up broken bulbs. It is impractical to safely store the debris until it can be taken to a transfer station. The article is also misleading about the powdery residue. It is not “mercury dust” but mercury contaminated phosphor which has its own list of hazards, contaminated or not.

In summary, even though unfortunately delayed, a good reporting job as far as it goes. More needs to be done, however.

Bob Buntrock

Orono