Managing motor vehicle mercury switches in New Jersey

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Managing Motor Vehicle Mercury Switches in New
Jersey Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention
Roundtable Summer Conference, August 25, 2005 New
York Academy of Sciences Mike Aucott, Ph.D.,
Division of Science, Research Technology NJ
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Michael.Aucott_at_dep.state.nj.us
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NJ Mercury Switch Data Collection Pilot
Project(report available at www.state.nj.us/dep/
dsr/mercury)
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Under-hood light and switch assembly
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Anti-lock brake G-sensor
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Switch assemblies
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Mercury-free hulks awaiting shredding
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Hulks entering hammer mill
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Shred and researchers
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Shred
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Steel manufacturing plant
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Scrap metal feedstock
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Mercury Switch Data Collection Pilot Project,
Results Findings

• Mercury switches were removed from 358 vehicles
  to produce low mercury content scrap
• Vehicles contained an average of 0.8 switches
  each
• Several minutes were required to examine vehicle
  to determine presence of switch and to remove it
• Total cost of switch removal, handling,
  transportation, proper disposal estimated to be
  3.00 per switch
• Preliminary data from associated stack test
  project indicated approximately 50 reduction
  from steel manufacturing facility operating on
  low mercury content scrap
• Desirable to implement a switch removal program
  on a regional basis
• See http//www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/mercury
• and click on Mercury Switch Data Collection
  Pilot Project to view or download

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New Jersey State Vehicle Switch Removal Project
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Shipping container for state vehicle switch
removal project
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State Vehicle Switch Removal Project Results
Findings

• Project not complete
• Results so far indicate
• Approximately 600 cars, virtually all domestic,
  most between 5 10 years old, are removed from
  service each year.
• All cars are checked, and mercury switches are
  removed to date there have been 0.56 switches
  per car.

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New Jersey Switch Removal Act 1-9
C.131E-99.82 to 131E-99.90 9 Note to
5218A-18 P.L. 2005, CHAPTER 54, approved March
24, 2005
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Requirements of the law include

• Manufacturers must provide switch containers to
  vehicle recyclers within 30 days of enactment
• Manufacturers of vehicles sold in NJ must develop
  a mercury minimization plan and submit to the
  NJDEP within 90 days of effective date
• Plan must include minimum 2 payment to vehicle
  recycler for each switch removed and 0.25 per
  switch to the NJDEP
• Manufacturers must begin implementation of
  plan(s) within 30 days of approval by NJDEP
• By 30 days after plan approval, recyclers must
  remove all mercury switches prior to delivery to
  a scrap recycling facility

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Implementation Status

• Manufacturers have provided containers and
  instructional materials, including a DVD,
  introductory letter, dismantling brochure and
  universal waste labels, to over 200 facilities
  that have been verified as end-of-life vehicle
  recyclers
• The NJDEP is developing additional outreach to
  recyclers
• Recyclers are now removing switches
• Three Mercury Minimization Plans, from Subaru,
  Nissan, and the Alliance of Automobile
  Manufacturers (representing all major U.S. and
  European manufacturers) have been submitted to
  the NJDEP and are now under review.

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Future Research Directions

• Are there other significant sources of mercury
  input to the scrap metal stream, e.g. discarded
  stoves, other appliances, industrial equipment?
  Additional mercury materials accounting studies
  at iron and steel plants and recyclers may answer
  this question.
• Are there other important flows and significant
  releases of mercury to the environment associated
  with scrap metal processing? Further studies of
  mercury content and fate of non-ferrous scrap and
  of non-metallic residue shredder residue (fluff)
  may answer this question.

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Future Research Directions, contd. Are there
better management approaches for mercury capsules
or switch assemblies than recycling?

• Current plans are to send mercury capsules and
  switch assemblies to mercury recycling
  facilities, which melt the switches, etc. and
  recover the mercury. Recovered mercury is then
  returned to commerce. Capsules are relatively
  easy to process. But some assemblies, e.g. ABS
  G-sensors, are more difficult to recycle
  capsules are hard to remove, and assembly
  materials are not amenable to retorting.
• The total amount of mercury contained in switch
  assemblies is small compared to quantities of
  mercury stored elsewhere and potentially
  available to commerce.
• Can mercury switch assemblies, and capsules, be
  safely treated, managed, or disposed in other
  ways that will ensure long-term sequestration of
  mercury, and that will be cheaper and less
  energy-intensive than recycling?
• Alternative approaches that are technically and
  economically feasible may nevertheless present
  legal and public perception problems.

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Scrap metal feedstock
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Non-ferrous shred
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Non-metallic shredder residue (fluff)
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ABS G-sensor
Mercury-containing capsules