My concern will be for the workers in these collection sites - from
accidentally broken CRTs and potentially improperly maintained crushers -
both of which would be giving off fine, lead-containing glass dust.
Bev Christian
Research in Motion
-----Original Message-----
From: Davy, Gordon [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: August 15, 2001 5:46 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [LF] California restricts disposal of CRTs
Here are excerpts from California's Department of Toxic Substances Control
August 2001 Fact Sheet: "Managing Waste Cathode Ray Tubes", along with a few
comments [in brackets]. See
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/docs/hwmp/docs/HWM_FS_CRT-EmergencyRegs.pdf .
It is DTSC's mission to protect public health and the environment from
harmful exposure to hazardous substances. [With this rule, they're going way
beyond that. They are preventing exposure to the same material that people
sometimes drink out of - leaded glass. What they've done is neither
necessary nor sufficient.]
A typical CRT contains between two and five pounds of lead. Lead is a toxic
substance which may cause lead poisoning and can be especially harmful to
young children. If products containing lead are disposed of to the trash,
the lead can potentially contaminate the soil and our water supplies [no
data, just "risk", and overlooks the fact that the soil is already
contaminated with lead far beyond anything that anyone could assert as
coming from disposal of CRTs].
When tested [by a test that does not simulate landfill conditions], most
CRT's exceed the regulatory threshold for lead and are identified [not by
scientists but by bureaucrats] as hazardous waste when discarded. Waste CRTs
are subject to hazardous waste regulations which went into effect August 3,
2001. The regulations protect the environment by promoting the safe
collection and recycling of waste CRT's. Disposing of CRTs to the trash or
to a municipal landfill is prohibited. People should take their waste CRT's
to a collection facility for recycling.
Q: Are there any health risks associated with handling CRT's?
A: No. There are no health hazards associated with handling intact
unbroken televisions or CRT's.
[There are lots of other questions in this "fact sheet", but here are some
questions that don't appear:
* Have any cases of lead poisoning been attributed to disposal of CRTs
in landfills, and do you have any plans to remove CRTs and other, bigger,
sources of lead from existing landfills to prevent more cases? What about
all the lead in the ground left over from all those decades when people
burned leaded gasoline?
* Did you check with anyone who is responsible for providing drinking
water to Californians to determine what the present level of lead is and
whether they believe that what you're doing is going to help?
* How many lives does DTSC estimate will be saved by imposing these
restrictions on California's citizens and when will the benefits begin to
accrue?
* What sort of cost-benefit analysis was performed in arriving at
these new restrictions and is it available for public review?
* What sort of citizen - as opposed to "watchdog" environmental
organization - input was involved in arriving at these new restrictions and
what influence did it have? Who is the champion who is seeking these
restrictions?
* What new restrictions are you contemplating? In particular, have you
considered making it illegal to sell or use leaded glass for holding potable
liquids? Perhaps a buyout, in which you reward people from a
taxpayer-supplied fund for turning in their "crystal" drinking glasses and
decanters or promising not to use them?]
Note to DTSC: I'd be happy to post to the IPC Leadfree Forum any response
you might wish to offer.
Gordon Davy
Baltimore, MD
[log in to unmask]
410-993-7399
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