There are two ways to keep mercury out of Maine’s environment. One is to ban mercury-containing products. The other is to reduce emissions from facilities that use or release mercury or unintentionally burn it while incinerating the state’s trash. Bills to be considered by the Legislature this session would do both and should be supported.

Maine is a leader when it comes to banning mercury-containing products. On Jan. 1, sales of mercury-containing thermostats were banned. The state had already prohibited standard mercury batteries, thermometers and automobile switches.

With the thermostat ban in place, more of the old, mercury-containing models should be collected. The Department of Environmental Protection estimates that there are 5,600 pounds of mercury in the old thermostats hanging on the walls of Maine homes and businesses. Less than 10 percent are being properly disposed of, with the rest simply thrown away. LD 1792 would set up a collection program and offer incentives to contractors and consumers to bring the thermometers to collection sites. Although the form – coupons or cash – of the incentive and the amount need to be worked out, this approach has worked in Washington and should be tried here.

Lawmakers are also considering banning mercury-containing button cell batteries. The tiny discs are used to power small toys, hearing aids and watches. The Department of Environmental Protection estimates that 40 pounds of mercury ends up in the state’s waste stream from discarded button cell batteries each year. At least half of that mercury ends up burned in one of the state’s garbage incinerators, where some slips through air pollution controls.

A two-phase approach to this ban, as proposed by the DEP, makes sense if the technology proves itself. Novelty toys containing mercury batteries would be banned beginning in 2007, followed by a ban on the use of all such batteries in 2011.

If this ban takes effect, three-quarters of mercury-containing products will have been eliminated in Maine. The remaining products are fluorescent light bulbs and mercury amalgam dental fillings. Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain little mercury, last a long time and use much less energy.

In 2001, legislation created an informational brochure on mercury amalgam fillings that has become the model for the nation, although questions remain about how many dentists are using the brochures. The Natural Resources Committee recently endorsed a bill to collect data to determine how much mercury amalgam is used in Maine. This is a good second step.

On the emissions side, the governor plans to introduce a bill that will halve the allowable mercury air emissions in the state. The new limit would be 25 pounds a year. Only two companies – Dragon Cement in Thomaston and Regional Waste Systems in Portland – are thought to be affected by the change. Reducing the limit now will ensure that mercury emissions can’t increase and could lay the groundwork for future reductions.

Keeping new mercury out of Maine and minimizing what ends up in the waste stream and in our air is a prudent effort that should be moved forward by lawmakers.