III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 663 

Expressing concern over the current Federal policy that allows the exportation 

of toxic electronic waste to developing nations, and expressing the sense 

of the Senate that the United States should join other developed nations 

and ban the exportation of toxic electronic waste to developing nations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 

Mr. BROWN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing concern over the current Federal policy that allows the exportation of toxic electronic waste to developing nations, and expressing the sense of the Senate 

that the United States should join other developed nations and ban the exportation of toxic electronic waste 

to developing nations. 

Whereas toxic electronic waste is generated from discarded 

televisions and computer monitors, computers and peripherals, audio and video equipment, wireless devices, fax 

and copy machines, video game consoles, and other electronic appliances and products; 

Whereas televisions with cathode ray tubes (CRTs) contain 

between 4 and 15 pounds of lead, a toxic substance 

known to cause brain damage in children; 


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•SRES 663 IS 

Whereas many laptops, flat panel monitors, and televisions 

contain fluorescent lamps that contain mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin; 

Whereas many electronic products contain toxic chemicals 

such as lead, mercury, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, 

and brominated flame retardants; 

Whereas approximately 2,630,000 tons of used or unwanted 

electronics were discarded in the United States in 2005, 

according to the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA); 

Whereas approximately 330,000 tons of electronic waste were 

collected and diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling 

in 2005, according to the EPA; 

Whereas an estimated 50 percent to 80 percent of electronic 

waste collected for reuse or recycling is exported to countries such as China, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, and 

Thailand, according to the Department of Commerce; 

Whereas approximately 131,500 tons of lead-containing 

CRTs were exported in 2005, representing 75 percent of 

the CRTs supposedly collected for recycling, according to 

the EPA; 

Whereas Congress has required the Nation’s broadcasters to 

convert from analog to digital broadcasting on February 

17, 2009, a move which will render millions of analog 

CRT televisions obsolete for broadcasting and likely to be 

discarded; 

Whereas exported electronic waste is often crudely scrapped 

and dismantled under conditions that are dangerous for 

human health and the environment in developing countries, according to eyewitness reports by the Basel Action 


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•SRES 663 IS 

Network and several media outlets including National 

Geographic Magazine; 

Whereas toxic lead from exported electronic waste has returned to the United States as a public health threat in 

children’s jewelry made in China, according to a study by 

Ashland University, reported by the Wall Street Journal; 

Whereas the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

has issued multiple recall notices for jewelry and toys for 

children made in China that contained dangerous levels 

of lead; 

Whereas 32 nations, including the member States of the European Union, have banned the export of toxic electronic 

waste to developing countries; 

Whereas several major information technology and consumer 

electronics manufacturers have corporate policies that 

prohibit the export of toxic electronic waste to developing 

nations; 

Whereas the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 

1976, as amended, prohibits the export of hazardous 

waste from the United States to other nations unless the 

EPA obtains prior written permission from the other nation’s competent authority; and 

Whereas the EPA has determined that much electronic waste 

is excluded or exempted from the definitions of ‘‘waste’’ 

and ‘‘hazardous waste’’ under the Resource Conservation 

and Recovery Act of 1976, leading to the largely unrestricted export of toxic electronic waste to developing nations: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 663 IS 

1 (1) expresses its concern over the current Fed2 eral policy that allows the exportation of toxic elec3 tronic waste to developing nations; and 

4 (2) supports joining other developed nations 

5 and banning the export of toxic electronic waste to 

6 developing nations. 

Æ 


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