[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 13, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3754-H3755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TURN OUT THE LIGHTS--THE PARTY'S OVER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, Congress passed an energy bill which should 
have been called the Anti-American non Energy Bill, because it punishes 
Americans for using energy, rather than finding new sources of 
affordable energy. But the bill does one thing, Madam Speaker, it 
controls the type of light bulbs that all Americans must use throughout 
our fruited plains.
  Congress's energy bill bans incandescent light bulbs by 2014, and 
requires Americans to buy compact fluorescent bulbs. Those are called 
CFLs. Now we can say goodbye to Thomas Edison's incandescent bulb and 
his invention.
  Madam Speaker, I have a Constitution here and, like most Members of 
Congress, I carry it with me. I've read it through and through, but I 
don't see anywhere in the U.S. Constitution that it gives the 
government the power to control the type of light bulbs used in Dime 
Box, Texas or any other place in the United States. Besides the lack of 
constitutional authority, let me discuss these light bulbs further.
  Nothing in Congress seems to be easy, and that phrase is certainly 
true with these CFL light bulbs. These light bulbs contain mercury, so 
they have to be disposed of in a certain way. According to EPA rules, 
you're supposed to take them to a local recycling center. Thanks to 
Congress, nothing is easy.
  If you throw them out at home, you're supposed to seal the bulb in 
two plastic bags and place them in the outside trash; otherwise, the 
bulb may break and pollute the landfill, of all things.
  CFLs are made of glass, so they're fragile. If one breaks it or drops 
it, you have to follow simple rules, thanks to Congress. And according 
to the EPA, here's what do you if you break one of these light bulbs, 
and I quote. ``Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let 
anyone walk through the area.'' We must evacuate the room, Madam 
Speaker.
  I continue. ``Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or 
more. Shut off the central heating and air conditioning system. 
Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or 
cardboard and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid.'' Obviously, 
that's readily available.
  I continue. ``Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any 
remaining small grass fragments and powder.'' Of course we do have lots 
of duct tape in Texas, so that's no problem. But we're not through yet.
  I continue to quote. ``Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or 
disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag. Do 
not use a vacuum or a broom.''
  And, Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to file this 3-page, 
single space requirements the EPA has made all Americans follow on 
disposing of one of these broken light bulbs.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. POE. If you break a light bulb in a high rise where the windows 
don't open, will the EPA light bulb police haul us off to jail because 
of improper disposal procedures?
  If I dropped this light bulb, we would have to evacuate the House of 
Representatives, according to the EPA light bulb law. Have we gone a 
bit too far with this nonsense?
  Thanks to Congress, we're making what is simple very difficult. And 
besides, these light bulbs, are expensive, and using them may fade 
photographs on the wall.
  Now, Madam Speaker, I'm going to carefully remove one of these light 
bulbs from a box that contains all these warnings on the outside. And 
this is one of those CFL light bulbs that Congress is requiring all 
Americans to use by 2014.
  There's more to the requirements of using these. It says here, and I 
quote, ``these light bulbs may cause interference to radios, 
televisions, wireless telephones and remote controls.'' Now we're in 
trouble for Monday night football because we're going to have to turn 
out the lights so there's no interference with our TV.
  We can also thank Congress for giving more money to China. This light 
bulb, it says right here, with all the warnings on it, is made in 
China. And Madam Speaker, they are only made in China. They're not made 
in the United States. We import every one of these things.
  You know, over the past year we've seen Chinese pet food kill our 
dogs and

[[Page H3755]]

cats; Chinese lead paint is poisoning our children, and now Chinese 
light bulbs that contain mercury can be harmful to our health. Doesn't 
this bother anybody?
  Meanwhile, gasoline nears $4 a gallon, and Congress still has no 
energy plan except turn on these light bulbs.

                              {time}  1945

  Oh, I yearn for the day when America took care of Americans by 
developing our own abundant natural resources like coal and natural gas 
and crude oil to provide affordable energy to America. But those days 
have gone the way of Edison's incandescent light bulb. We might as well 
turn out the lights, the party's over.
  And that's just the way it is.

             What To Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks

       Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are lighting more homes 
     than ever before, and EPA is encouraging Americans to use and 
     recycle them safely. Carefully recycling CFLs prevents the 
     release of mercury into the environment and allows for the 
     reuse of glass, metals and other materials that make up 
     fluorescent lights.
       EPA is continually reviewing its clean-up and disposal 
     recommendations for CFLs to ensure that the Agency presents 
     the most up-to-date information for consumers and businesses. 
     Maine's Department of Environmental Protection released a CFL 
     breakage study report on February 25, 2008. EPA has conducted 
     an initial review of this study and, as a result of this 
     review, we have updated the CFL cleanup instructions below.
       Pending the completion of a full review of the Maine study, 
     EPA will determine whether additional changes to the cleanup 
     recommendations are warranted. The agency plans to conduct 
     its own study on CFLs after thorough review of the Maine 
     study.
       Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of 
     mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the 
     following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
     Before clean-up: ventilate the room
       1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let 
     anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
       2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
       3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning 
     system, if you have one.
     Clean-up steps for hard surfaces
       4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using 
     stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with 
     metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
       5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any 
     remaining small glass fragments and powder.
       6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable 
     wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
       7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb 
     on hard surfaces.
     Clean-up steps for carpeting or rug
       4. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a 
     glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a 
     sealed plastic bag.
       5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any 
     remaining small glass fragments and powder.
       6. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are 
     removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
       7. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), 
     and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
     Disposal of clean-up materials
       8. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the 
     building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for 
     the next normal trash.
       9. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic 
     bags containing clean-up materials.
       10. Check with your local or state government about 
     disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states 
     prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and 
     unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local 
     recycling center.
     Future cleaning of carpeting or rug: ventilate the room 
         during and after vacuuming
       11. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central 
     forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window 
     prior to vacuuming.
       12. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut 
     off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after 
     vacuuming is completed.

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