IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 252 

Expressing the sense of Congress that no Federal or State requirement 

to increase energy efficient lighting in public buildings should require 

a hospital, school, day care center, mental health facility, or nursing 

home to install or utilize such energy efficient lighting if the lighting 

contains mercury. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 9, 2007 

Mr. BURGESS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that no Federal or State 

requirement to increase energy efficient lighting in public 

buildings should require a hospital, school, day care center, mental health facility, or nursing home to install 

or utilize such energy efficient lighting if the lighting 

contains mercury. 

Whereas elemental mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that is 

especially harmful to children; 


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•HCON 252 IH 

Whereas when elemental mercury is spilled or a device containing mercury breaks, the exposed elemental mercury 

can evaporate and become invisible; 

Whereas compact fluorescent energy efficient light bulbs contain between 3.8 and 6 mg of elemental mercury per 

bulb; 

Whereas if incandescent light bulbs are prohibited, the only 

lighting option that meets federally mandated standards 

may be compact fluorescent lamps containing mercury; 

Whereas Energy Star, a joint program of the Environmental 

Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, advises consumers to ‘‘seal the CFL (compact fluorescent 

lamp) in two plastic bags and put in the outside trash’’ 

when disposing of a burned out but unbroken bulb; 

Whereas the Energy Star website recommends the following 

to clean up broken bulbs: 

(1) Open the window, and leave the room for at 

least 15 minutes. 

(2) While wearing rubber gloves, remove all materials you can (without using a vacuum cleaner). 

(3) Place all materials in two plastic bags and seal 

them. Wash your hands afterward. 

(4) The first time you vacuum the area where the 

broken bulb occurred, dispose of the vacuum bag by sealing it in two plastic bags and placing it in (outside) 

trash, or completely clean the vacuum canister; 

Whereas there are certain areas of a hospital, school, day 

care center, mental health facility, or nursing home that 

may not be able to be evacuated upon the breakage of 

compact fluorescent lamps due to security reasons, safety 


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•HCON 252 IH 

reasons, legal restrictions, or the conditional health of the 

infirm; 

Whereas upon the breakage of compact fluorescent lamps 

there may not be an opportunity for nursery workers, 

teachers, or healthcare providers to adequately remove 

the spilled elemental mercury according to Energy Star 

requirements; and 

Whereas according to the Environmental Protection Agency 

15 States have already taken legal steps to remove mercury from schools through legislation, including Illinois, 

Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, 

Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kansas, 

Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, and Virginia: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that no Fed3 eral or State requirement to increase energy efficient light4 ing in public buildings should require a hospital, school, 

5 day care center, mental health facility, or nursing home 

6 to install or utilize such energy efficient lighting if the 

7 lighting contains mercury. 

Æ 


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