[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 252 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 252

 Expressing the sense of Congress that no Federal or State requirement 
   to increase energy efficient lighting in public buildings should 
require a hospital, school, day care center, mental health facility, or 
 nursing home to install or utilize such energy efficient lighting if 
                     the lighting contains mercury.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2007

 Mr. Burgess submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that no Federal or State requirement 
   to increase energy efficient lighting in public buildings should 
require a hospital, school, day care center, mental health facility, or 
 nursing home to install or utilize such energy efficient lighting if 
                     the lighting contains mercury.

Whereas elemental mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to 
        children;
Whereas when elemental mercury is spilled or a device containing mercury breaks, 
        the exposed elemental mercury can evaporate and become invisible;
Whereas compact fluorescent energy efficient light bulbs contain between 3.8 and 
        6 mg of elemental mercury per bulb;
Whereas if incandescent light bulbs are prohibited, the only lighting option 
        that meets federally mandated standards may be compact fluorescent lamps 
        containing mercury;
Whereas Energy Star, a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and 
        the Department of Energy, advises consumers to ``seal the CFL (compact 
        fluorescent lamp) in two plastic bags and put in the outside trash'' 
        when disposing of a burned out but unbroken bulb;
Whereas the Energy Star website recommends the following to clean up broken 
        bulbs:

    (1) Open the window, and leave the room for at least 15 minutes.

    (2) While wearing rubber gloves, remove all materials you can (without 
using a vacuum cleaner).

    (3) Place all materials in two plastic bags and seal them. Wash your 
hands afterward.

    (4) The first time you vacuum the area where the broken bulb occurred, 
dispose of the vacuum bag by sealing it in two plastic bags and placing it 
in (outside) trash, or completely clean the vacuum canister;

Whereas there are certain areas of a hospital, school, day care center, mental 
        health facility, or nursing home that may not be able to be evacuated 
        upon the breakage of compact fluorescent lamps due to security reasons, 
        safety reasons, legal restrictions, or the conditional health of the 
        infirm;
Whereas upon the breakage of compact fluorescent lamps there may not be an 
        opportunity for nursery workers, teachers, or healthcare providers to 
        adequately remove the spilled elemental mercury according to Energy Star 
        requirements; and
Whereas according to the Environmental Protection Agency 15 States have already 
        taken legal steps to remove mercury from schools through legislation, 
        including Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New 
        York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, 
        Minnesota, Vermont, and Virginia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that no Federal or State requirement 
to increase energy efficient lighting in public buildings should 
require a hospital, school, day care center, mental health facility, or 
nursing home to install or utilize such energy efficient lighting if 
the lighting contains mercury.
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