Skip to main content
S 3697 112th Congress Senate Environmental Protection Administrative remedies Business records Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental regulatory procedures Government information and archives Hazardous wastes and toxic substances Health technology, devices, supplies Judicial review and appeals Manufacturing Metals Mining Product safety and quality Trade restrictions

Mercury Use Reduction Act of 2012

Introduced: December 19, 2012 Introduced by: Whitehouse, Sheldon Democratic · Rhode Island See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 19, 2012
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Dec 19, 2012
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Mercury Use Reduction Act of 2012 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to redefine “mercury” as: (1) elemental mercury, (2) a mercury compound, and (3) a mixture that contains elemental mercury or a mercury compound that is mixed with any other material.

Prohibits, beginning on January 1, 2014, the: (1) production of mercury from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of mercury-containing ores and minerals (specifies that such prohibition does not prohibit the production of mercury from mining of other ores if the mercury is produced incidentally from the beneficiation or processing of that ore or related pollution control activities); (2) production of vinyl chloride monomer using a mercury-added feedstock or catalyst; (3) manufacturing, processing, or distribution in commerce of certain mercury-added measuring devices, a mercury-added pesticide, a mercury-added thermostat, or a mercury-added relay or mercury-added switch; and (4) export of certain mercury compounds or such mercury-added products.

Prohibits, beginning on January 1, 2015, the: (1) manufacturing, processing, or distribution in commerce of a mercury-added battery, individually or as a component of a product; and (2) exporting of such mercury-added batteries.

Sets forth exemptions to such prohibitions.

Amends the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act to repeal provisions concerning phasing out the use of batteries that contain mercury.

Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) report on the use of mercury to produce polyurethane products; (2) publish an inventory of mercury supply, use, and trade by April 1, 2014, and every three years thereafter; and (3) publish a list of such compounds the export of which is prohibited. Establishes reporting requirements for manufactures of mercury or mercury-added products and manufacturers that intentionally use mercury in a manufacturing process.

Authorizes elemental mercury to be stored on a long-term basis at a facility for which a permit has been issued for that purpose under the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Exempts such long-term storage from prohibitions on hazardous waste disposal under such Act.

What's happening now December 19, 2012

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

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1