Res. No. 1092
Title
Resolution calling upon the New York State Senate to follow the Assembly and enact the Electronic Equipment Recycling Act.
Body
By Council Members Serrano, Avella, Baez, Brewer, Comrie, Dilan, Gentile, Gerson, Koppell, Liu, Lopez, Recchia, Rivera, Weprin, Felder, McMahon, Addabbo, Quinn, Jackson and Nelson
Whereas, The disposal of electronic waste represents one of the most significant environmental hazards nationwide, with 3.2 million tons of electronics entering landfills every year; and
Whereas, Discarded electronic equipment accounts for over seventy percent of all toxic heavy metals found in landfills; and
Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that by the year 2005, approximately 250 million computers will have become obsolete in the United States and this number is expected to grow to 500 million by 2007; and
Whereas, In 2001, according to the EPA, only eleven percent of all personal computers retired in the United States were recycled; and
Whereas, A cathode ray tube (CRT) is the video display component of computer monitors and televisions and is comprised of between four and ten pounds of lead, as well as other toxic materials such as chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc and brominated flame retardant; and
Whereas, The toxics contained in CRTs pollute surrounding groundwater when disposed of in landfills and pollute the air when burned at incinerators; and
Whereas, Other states, including California and Massachusetts, have banned the disposal of CRTs in landfills and at incinerators; and
Whereas, Other states, including Florida, Maine, Michigan, Texas and Vermont, have legislation pending that would prohibit the disposal of CRTs in landfills and at incinerators; and
Whereas, Assembly bill A.3633 and Senate bill S.890 would create the "Electronic Equipment Recycling Act" (EERA); and
Whereas, The EERA would prohibit every person from knowingly disposing of CRTs in mixed solid waste beginning January 1, 2006; and
Whereas, The EERA would also prohibit all solid waste management facilities from knowingly accepting CRTs for disposal beginning January 1, 2006; and
Whereas, The stated purpose of the EERA is to protect the environment and help create secondary markets for the recyclable material found in electronic equipment; and
Whereas, The EERA would create a program to educate the public and provide assistance to local governments, electronic equipment recycling businesses, and not-for-profit organizations in the creation of recovery systems, including the necessary infrastructure for sorting, collecting, transporting and scrapping electronic waste; and
Whereas, Assembly bill A.3633 was passed by the New York State Assembly and delivered to the Senate on April 28, 2003, and Senate bill S.890 is still pending; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Senate to follow the Assembly and enact the Electronic Equipment Recycling Act.
LS #2802
9/10/03
AIS