(Host) Governor Jim Douglas signed a new law today that aims to protect Vermont’s environment from mercury pollution.
The law limits or bans products containing mercury from being be sold in Vermont, removes products containing mercury from schools and day-care centers, and tracks the effects of air-borne mercury pollution coming in from the Midwest.
State Senator, Ginny Lyons, of Chittenden County was the chief sponsor of the new statute.
(Lyons) “The bill is fairly comprehensive in allowing the state of Vermont to identify those products that do contain mercury and then to work with manufacturers in limiting the amount of mercury that comes into the state in those products.”
(Host) In signing the law, Governor Douglas noted that most of Vermont’s mercury pollution comes from Midwestern power plants, but that the state should do everything it can within its borders to reduce mercury contamination.
Most of the restrictions on sales of products containing mercury will take effect on July first, next year.