Federal light- bulb ban set for 2. OTTAWA – A federal ban on inefficient light bulbs goes into effect Jan. Conservative government. But the tough regulations are being watered down, and there are no federal rules yet on recycling a class of bulbs that meet the new standard but contain toxic mercury. The Conservative government announced an aggressive plan in 2. CFLs. The new rules were set to start in 2. Customers immediately saw the value of the program as the Town of Cochrane. With the Canadian Federal Government reviewing legislation mandating fluorescent bulb recycling. HALOGEN / STANDARD FLOOD. Newspaper article The Canadian Press. Federal Light-Bulb Ban Set for 2014, Almost Seven Years after Announcement. Jan. 1, 2. 01. 4, to “allay” consumer concerns about cost and flexibility. In the meantime, the government proposed allowing a newer kind of incandescent bulb, filled with halogen gas, to remain on store shelves even though it doesn’t meet the tough efficiency standards that were proposed in 2. Canadians. The relaxed proposed rule about halogen bulbs, which are cheaper than CFLs, is out for public commentary until Dec.
Jan. 1. A spokeswoman for Natural Resources says the government intends to implement the halogen exception in a “timely fashion,” depending on feedback, with no deadline set. And Environment Canada still has not enacted new regulations that would limit the amount of mercury contained in each CFL, and that would compel manufacturers and distributors to recycle them. The uncertainty and inaction is a far cry from the splashy announcement in 2. John Baird touted the Conservative government’s bold leadership. Baird told a 2. 00. Home Depot outlet in Nepean, Ont., that the light- bulb initiative would reduce greenhouse- gas emissions by more than six million tonnes annually. He encouraged the recycling of the new CFLs at Home Depot and other retailers voluntarily offering such programs. Earlier this year, Home Depot ended its CFL recycling program, saying provinces and “third- party agencies are better equipped to manage these kinds of programs.”A spokesman for Environment Canada says regulations that require recycling programs and that set mercury- content limits remain a work in progress.“Environment Canada is developing measures that set limits for mercury content in compact fluorescent lamps and require labels about their safe disposal, and is also considering options for the management of mercury- containing lamps when they become waste,” Mark Johnson said in an email.“Some provinces already have initiatives to deal with mercury lamps as waste. We will ensure that our efforts are complementary to provincial and territorial initiatives.”A 2. Environment Canada found that Canada’s mercury- waste facilities are either patchwork or non- existent, and that there are no national standards. Researchers also found that much mercury waste winds up in municipal landfills, where it can leach into groundwater. The chemical is highly toxic. Minute amounts can seriously damage the nervous system. The mercury contained in just one medical thermometer can contaminate five Olympic- size swimming pools to toxic levels. As of Jan. 1, 7. 5- and 1. Dec. However, the industry can continue to ship non- efficient bulbs, such as traditional incandescents, as long as they were manufactured before Jan. Traditional incandescents lose about 9. Canadians have been hoarding them in advance of the ban. CFLs can cost from $1 to $1. Halogen incandescent bulbs are generally less expensive than CFLs, more efficient than traditional incandescents and contain no mercury. They are also permitted under the energy- efficiency regime in the United States, Canada’s largest trading partner. Environmentalists generally applaud Canada’s new energy- efficiency regulations for bulbs, but say there must also be strict rules on recycling any mercury from broken CFLs.“It’s ridiculous that the two pieces of regulation are not going hand in hand,” said MP Megan Leslie, the NDP’s environment critic. Regulations amended in October 2. Jan. 1, 2. 01. 4, to “allay” concerns of consumers about cost and flexibility. Impact: Regulations would not ban incandescents outright, but would effectively require retailers to replace them with so- called compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs, which contain small amounts of toxic mercury. Another more expensive alternative is mercury- free LED lights. Government also proposes allowing incandescent halogen lamps, which are not as efficient as CFLs but are cheaper and contain no mercury. Quantity: Environment Canada estimates the regulations would require about 1,5. CFLs between 2. 01. Other consumer goods now containing mercury include some batteries, switches, relays and thermometers. Current consumer mercury: Environment Canada estimates the use and disposal of products containing mercury represent about 2. Canada’s current domestic emissions of this toxic metal. Foreign sources: Some 9. Canada every year arrives through airborne foreign emissions, with China as a major source because of its coal- fired plants. Dangers: Minute amounts of mercury can have serious health consequences. The substance can cross the placenta into the fetus, can be transmitted through breast milk, and is often concentrated in fish, birds and marine mammals, especially in the Arctic. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and can cause tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular changes, headaches and other problems. Recycling/waste facilities: A 2. Canada. There is no facility in Canada to extract pure mercury from waste for recycling. Waste often sent to U. S. Managing CFL mercury waste: Federal government has proposed but not enacted limits on the amount of mercury permitted in each CFL. Ottawa also considering compelling manufacturers and importers to manage the mercury waste from the CFLs they sell, through recycling or proper disposal, but has not yet proposed regulations. Consumers: Consumers who have CFLs that are broken or burnt out should not dispose of them with regular garbage. Rather, they need to be taken to a waste facility or retail program for proper disposal of the mercury content. One website with advice on finding a local waste facility is Earth. Average service life: Traditional incandescent bulbs, 1,0. CFLs, 8,0. 00; incandescent halogen bulbs, 1,0. Cost- benefit: Natural Resources says new regulations would deliver between $7. Canadians, including 7. Sources: Environment Canada, Health Canada, Summerhill Impact, Environmental Defence, Statistics Canada).
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