UPDATE: AB 2347 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 29. Thank you for your support.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger       
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: AB 2347 – Mercury Thermostats Collection – Support

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I/We are writing to urge you to sign AB 2347 (Ruskin) into law.

AB 2347 will create a collection and recycling system for out of service mercury added thermostats for consumers, managed and funded by the product’s manufacturers. 

Mercury thermostats were banned from sale in California in January 2006, but the mercury thermostats sold before them continue to be disposed of in the trash, despite currently being banned from landfills. Even with the ban, the Department of Toxic Substances Control estimates that only five percent of California’s mercury thermostats are properly managed.

Even though a few mercury thermostat manufacturers created the Thermostat Recycling Corporation, it has not been very successful in collect the majority of the mercury added thermostats that become obsolete each year. These thermostats can contain over 3,000 milligrams of mercury, which is why they are banned from landfills.

AB 2347 would address the problem by placing responsibility on all manufacturers that sold mercury thermostats in California before January 1, 2006 and sell thermostats in the state after January 1, 2009 to create and maintain a collection system for out of service mercury thermostats. The bill also requires developing outreach and educational materials to increase awareness of the issue.

Sincerely,