Tell the State Senate to Pass the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act

Mercury is a nasty toxin that can have severe and lasting impacts on the health of humans and wildlife. But few are aware that a significant source of mercury hangs on the walls of our homes. When old-model thermostats are discarded, they are thrown into landfills and burned in waste-to-energy incinerators. The thimbleful of mercury they contain is then leaked into water sources or emitted into the air. This contaminates the water we drink, the seafood we eat, and even the air we breathe. As long as we allow these kinds of thermostats to slip into the waste stream, we put ourselves at risk. We can’t afford such neglect of a glaring issue to continue. Fortunately, there’s a bill in the State Senate that proposes a strong mercury thermostat collection program that aims to keep mercury out of the waste stream, where they have the potential foul up the environment. We would like to encourage people to contact Senator Skelos and other members of the Long Island Senate delegation to urge the passage of this bill before the legislative session ends on June 20th. The threat of mercury pollution in Long Island and in other areas of New York State is certainly an issue worth addressing. Marcia Bystryn is president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental organization.