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Mercury Pollution Reduction Act

Introduced: July 9, 2009 Introduced by: Whitehouse, Sheldon Democratic · Rhode Island See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 9, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Jul 9, 2009
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Mercury Pollution Reduction Act - Declares that is the policy of the United States that the United States should develop policies and programs that will reduce: (1) mercury use and emissions; (2) mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury currently in use or circulation; and (3) exposures to mercury, particularly of women of childbearing age and young children.

Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit: (1) the manufacture of chlorine or caustic soda using a mercury cell; and (2) the export of any mercury, mercury cell, mercury compound, or mixture containing mercury by the owner or operator of a chlor-alkali facility.

Requires the owner or operator of each chlor-alkali facility to report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator and the state in which the facility is located on mercury waste, emissions, and content in products.

Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct a comprehensive mercury inventory covering the life and closure of chlor-alkali facilities that cease operations on or after January 1, 2009; and (2) obtain mercury purchase records and such other information from each such facility as the Administrator determines to be necessary to determine the magnitude and nature of mercury releases from the facility into air and other environmental media.

What's happening now July 9, 2009

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1