Automotive Recyclers all across the state of New York have been helping this state protect its citizens and its environment for the past several years by participating in a program instituted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This program is the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program. This program is a unique collaboration between environmental organizations, automobile manufacturers and automotive recycling facilities to recover up to 90% of the mercury switches that were used in automobiles up until the year 2003.
Mercury auto switches were used in convenience lighting, antilock braking systems and some air bag sensor components. It has been estimated that there may be as many as 40 million mercury switches in vehicles, which are still in use.
Beginning in August of 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency and End of Life Vehicle solutions have worked in conjunction with New York automotive recyclers to recover as many of these mercury switches as is possible.
Mercury switches have been prohibited in the state of New York since January 1, 2008. According to the New York State Environmental Conservation Law article 27, Title 21, Mercury-added Consumer Products, section 27-2107(7) states: "On or after January first, two thousand eight, no person shall sell, offer for sale or distribute any mercury switch or mercury relay individually or as a product component" Cost effective, non-mercury replacement switches exist which use a ball bearing in place of liquid mercury to trigger the electrical connection.
The necessity to ensure that as many mercury containing switches as possible is related to the toxicity associated with mercury when consumed by humans. Mercury is a particularly toxic substance that can affect the brain and nervous system. Small children and pregnant women are particularly affected by mercury in the environment. Removing and recycling these mercury switches from vehicles before they are crushed and processed and recycling prevents the mercury from being released into the environment.
New York auto recyclers are taking an active role in making sure that the mercury that has been used in automobiles does not end up in New York's rivers and lakes where it contaminates the fish and wildlife. Eating mercury-contaminated fish is the primary route of exposure for most people. The problem has become bad enough in the state of New York that the New your State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued multiple health warnings for New York residents about the amount of consumption of fish. Dangerous mercury levels in fish in some lakes and streams could lead to a negative impact on tourism from people traveling from out of state to fish in New York's popular streams and lakes.
The national Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program is committed to assisting auto recyclers in New York and nationwide by ensuring that auto salvage facilities do not have to bear any of the financial burden for any of the costs associated with storing, shipping and processing the mercury convenience switches they remove from the vehicles they process.
Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at New York Junk Yards. He writes about
New York junk yards and other industry specific topics.
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