PORTLAND – Gov. LePage has sought a repeal of Maine’s product stewardship laws.

With bipartisan support, Maine was the first state to enact such laws for three reasons: to prevent the release of mercury into Maine’s environment; to share the economic responsibility for environmentally sound recycling; and to provide economic incentives to manufacturers to reduce or eliminate hazardous components.

The laws shift some, but not all, financial responsibility away from municipalities, taxpayers and non-consumers to parties that produce the product and consumers who use it. A policy is fair when all responsible parties share the costs.

Why do we care about electronic waste? It contains toxic heavy metals — mercury, lead, cadmium. Exposure to mercury impairs neurological development and can cause kidney failure.

The cognitive effects of exposure to lead, especially on children, are well known. Cadmium is a known human carcinogen.

Using Maine’s electronic waste law as an example, we offer six reasons why these laws should not be repealed but instead be expanded.

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First, the law addresses only household electronics — there is zero effect on businesses moving to Maine. The Maine DEP proposed to expand the law to cover e-waste generated by small business. This would reduce their costs by eliminating recycling charges and paperwork.

Second, there are no computer or television manufacturers in Maine; most are in Asia. The push to repeal our laws comes from away.

Third, based on extensive research, there has been no increase in the retail price of electronics due to Maine’s law. The current cost to manufacturers for recycling e-waste is only 36 cents per pound. We can safely prevent the release of a pound of lead, cadmium and mercury into Maine’s environment for a third of the cost of a soda.

Fourth, there has been significant cost savings to municipalities, property taxpayers and consumers from reduced recycling fees, hauling costs, disposal charges and paperwork.

However, total costs have not simply shifted to manufacturers; such costs are much lower because the program is a cooperative relationship between municipalities and the private sector. It relies on private companies to transport and recycle e-waste for manufacturers.

There are now eight private companies competing to manage Maine’s e-waste, resulting in more Maine jobs, and the program is responsible for capital investment in Maine communities like Auburn. We need to expand this law to help our small businesses, which would increase Maine-based jobs and investments.

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Fifth, since 2006, Maine has diverted 22 million pounds of hazardous waste from landfills and incinerators — nearly 17 pounds for every Mainer.

The number of e-waste items recycled more than doubled in the first year of the program and nearly tripled in 2008, and it continues to grow.

Eliminating this law would mean most of these heavy metals would be landfilled or burned. Existing landfills in Maine are reaching or exceeding capacity; the State Planning Office estimates Maine’s existing landfills will run out of capacity starting in 2018.

Building or expanding new landfills is an expensive and controversial process. If e-waste is not recycled, where will it go in 2018? It is a well-established axiom that all landfills leak, endangering ground water.

Incinerating e-waste means municipalities must invest in costly mercury-capture technology. Why would we knowingly contaminate Maine’s environment to save foreign manufacturers a few dollars — firms that have no factories and no jobs in Maine?

Sixth, the governor wants to make Maine’s standards the same as federal standards. While no federal e-waste recycling law exists, it is inevitable such a law is coming as 22 other states have producer-responsibility e-waste laws.

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To have such a well-established and well-designed e-waste law in Maine will give our businesses a “first-mover advantage,” giving our businesses a leg up on potential competitors.

The electronic waste law is a model of innovative policy; it has no negative effect on Maine businesses and, if expanded, will help small businesses.

It creates Maine jobs, it has had no effect on prices of consumer electronics, it is highly effective at preventing releases of mercury and lead into Maine’s environment, it extends the life of landfills and reduces the cost of incineration, it harnesses the ingenuity and efficiency of the private sector to reduce recycling costs, and it is based on valid science and sound economics.

– Special to the Press Herald

 


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