ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY UPDATE ARTICLES

HAZARDOUS LAMPS ADDED TO UNIVERSAL WASTE PROGRAM BY EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added hazardous waste lamps to the universal waste program. By adding them to the universal waste rule, EPA hopes to promote better management of these wastes by minimizing releases, encouraging recycling, and keeping the lamps out of the municipal waste stream. Prior to this rule, many used lamps --- especially fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps --- had to be disposed of as hazardous waste because they frequently contain mercury, and sometimes lead.

Included within the scope of the universal waste rule are all waste lamps, which are hazardous because they exhibit the characteristic of toxicity. Common types of electric lamps containing sufficient concentrations of mercury (or other constituents, such as lead) that cause them to be hazardous include, but are not limited to: fluorescent, high intensity discharge, neon lamps, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps. The final rule takes effect January 6, 2000.