HJ0083 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0083 LRB093 22077 RAS 50617 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Mercury is a highly toxic substance that can cause serious human health and ecological effects; and

WHEREAS, The improper disposal of mercury-containing products can cause serious health and ecological effects when released into the environment; and

WHEREAS, Some automakers have historically used mercury in switches for convenience lighting, antilock braking systems, and active ride control systems; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that over 210 million vehicles currently in use in the United States contain an estimated 200 tons of mercury; and

WHEREAS, The use of mercury in automotive applications presents significant challenges for the industries involved in end-of-life vehicle recycling; and

WHEREAS, An effective, comprehensive approach is necessary to properly manage mercury from the existing fleet of vehicles, thereby protecting human health and the environment from the potential impacts of automotive mercury; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there should be created the Joint Task Force on Mercury Vehicle Components to identify programs and methods that recover and collect mercury switches and, where practical, other mercury components from motor vehicles; and be it further

RESOLVED, In evaluating mercury collection programs and methods, the Task Force, at a minimum, shall consider (i) the existing infrastructure for recovering and collecting mercury components; (ii) efforts to reduce the use of mercury components in vehicles; (iii) in-use and end-of-life strategies that facilitate the recovery and collection of vehicle mercury components; (iv) appropriate target collection rates for recovering mercury vehicle components; (v) funding options and incentives to remove and safely manage vehicle mercury components; (vi) regulations that encourage the proper handling and management of mercury components once they have been removed from vehicles; and (vii) public outreach to promote awareness and facilitate involvement in programs to collect and recover mercury vehicle components; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be composed of 8 members as follows: 2 members appointed by the President of the Senate; 2 members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 2 members appointed by the House Minority Leader; in addition, the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency or his or her designee, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee, and the Director of Natural Resources or his or her designee shall serve as non-voting members; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare and submit a report to the General Assembly that includes recommendations for administrative, funding, and legislative changes that may be necessary to effectively recover and collect mercury components from motor vehicles in the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the report shall be submitted to the General Assembly by January 1, 2005; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Director of Natural Resources.