An Act To Modify the Laws Regarding the Collection and Recycling of Mercury-added Thermostats
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1045
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Sponsors: SAVIELLO, MARTIN, DAVIS, BLACK, BUCKLAND, DUCHESNE, HILLIARD
Amends: 38 MRSA §1665-B

Legislative Document 
No. 1045 
S.P. 371 
In Senate, March 24, 2015 
An Act To Modify the Laws Regarding the Collection and Recycling 
of Mercury-added Thermostats 
Reference to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator SAVIELLO of Franklin. 
Cosponsored by Representative MARTIN of Eagle Lake and 
Senator: DAVIS of Piscataquis, Representatives: BLACK of Wilton, BUCKLAND of 
Farmington, DUCHESNE of Hudson, HILLIARD of Belgrade. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §1665-B, as amended by PL 2013, c. 315, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
§1665-B.  Mercury-added thermostats 
1.  Definitions.  For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, 
the following terms have the following meanings. 
A.  "Manufacturer" means a person who owns or owned a brand of mercury-added 
thermostats sold in the State before January 1, 2006. 
B.  "Mercury-added thermostat" or "mercury thermostat" means a product or device 
that uses a mercury switch to sense and control room temperature through 
communication with heating, ventilating or air conditioning equipment. "Mercury-
added thermostat" or "mercury thermostat" includes a thermostat used to sense and 
control room temperature in residential, commercial, industrial and other buildings 
but does not include a thermostat used to sense and control temperature as part of a 
manufacturing process. 
C.  "Retailer" means a person who sells thermostats of any kind directly to 
homeowners or other nonprofessionals through any selling or distribution 
mechanism, including, but not limited to, sales using the Internet or catalogues. 
D.  "Wholesaler" means a business that the department determines is primarily 
engaged in the distribution and selling of heating, ventilation and air conditioning 
components to contractors that install heating, ventilation and air conditioning 
components. 
E.  "Contractor" means a person engaged in the business of installing, servicing or 
removing thermostats and other heating, ventilation and air conditioning components. 
1-A.  Prohibitions.  The following prohibitions apply to the sale or distribution of 
mercury thermostats in the State. 
A.  A person may not sell or offer to sell or distribute for promotional purposes a 
mercury thermostat. 
B.  A manufacturer not in compliance with this section is prohibited from offering 
any thermostat for sale in the State.  A manufacturer not in compliance with this 
section shall provide the necessary support to retailers to ensure the manufacturer's 
thermostats are not offered for sale in this State. 
C.  A wholesaler or retailer may not offer for sale in this State any thermostat of a 
manufacturer that is not in compliance with this section. 
2.  Manufacturer responsibility.  Each manufacturer of mercury-added thermostats 
that have been sold in this State shall, individually or collectively: 
A.  Establish and maintain a collection and recycling program for out-of-service 
mercury-added thermostats.  The collection and recycling program must be designed 
and implemented to ensure that: 
(1)  A maximum rate of collection of mercury-added thermostats is achieved; 
(2)  Handling and recycling of mercury-added thermostats are accomplished in a 
manner that is consistent with section 1663, with other provisions of this chapter 
and with the universal waste rules adopted by the board pursuant to section 
1319-O; 
(3)  Authorized bins for mercury-added thermostat collection are made available 
at a reasonable one-time fee not to exceed $25 to all heating, ventilation and air 
conditioning supply, electrical supply and plumbing supply distributor locations 
that sell thermostats and to all retailers who volunteer to participate in the 
program; and 
(4)  By January 1, 2007, authorized bins for mercury-added thermostat collection 
are made available at a reasonable one-time fee not to exceed $25 to 
municipalities and regions requesting bins for mercury-added thermostat 
collection at universal waste collection sites or at periodic household hazardous 
waste collection events, as long as the collection sites or events are approved by 
the department for mercury-added thermostat collections; 
B.  Work cooperatively with the department and others in accordance with subsection 
to establish appropriate systems in order to implement the plan developed pursuant 
to subsection 4; 
C.  Within 3 months after the department develops phase one of the plan required by 
subsection 4, implement phase one of the plan; 
D.  Within 3 months after the department develops phase 2 of the plan required by 
subsection 4, implement phase 2 of the plan; 
E.  Within 3 months after the department develops phase one of the plan required by 
subsection 4, provide Provide a financial incentive with a minimum value of $5 for 
the return of each mercury-added thermostat by a contractor or service technician 
who has removed the mercury-added thermostat from service to an established 
recycling collection point; 
F.  Within 3 months after the department develops phase 2 of the plan required by 
subsection 4, provide Provide a financial incentive with a minimum value of $5 for 
the return of each mercury-added thermostat by a homeowner who has removed the 
mercury-added thermostat from service to an established recycling collection point; 
G.  Beginning in 2008, submit Submit an annual report to the department by January 
30th April 1st of each year.  The report must be submitted on a form provided by the 
department and must include at a minimum: 
(1)  The number of mercury-added thermostats collected and recycled by that 
manufacturer pursuant to this section during the previous calendar year; 
(2)  The estimated total amount of mercury contained in the thermostat 
components collected by that manufacturer pursuant to this section; 
(3)  An evaluation of the effectiveness of the manufacturer's collection and 
recycling program and the financial incentive provided pursuant to paragraphs E 
and F; 
(4)  An accounting of the administrative costs incurred in the course of 
administering the collection and recycling program and the financial incentive 
plan developed pursuant to subsection 4; 
(5)  A description of the education and outreach strategies employed during the 
previous calendar year to increase participation and collection rates and examples 
of education and outreach materials used; and 
(6)  Modifications that the manufacturer is proposing to make in its collection 
and recycling program; and 
H.  Beginning January 1, 2010, submit a quarterly report to the department within 30 
days after the end of each quarter that, for each shipment of thermostats received by 
the manufacturer or manufacturer's agent for recycling during the quarter, provides: 
(1)  The collection location that shipped the thermostats; 
(2)  The date the manufacturer received the shipment; 
(3)  The number of mercury thermostats; and 
(4) The total amount of mercury collected. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
2-A.  Wholesaler responsibility.  A wholesaler may not sell a thermostat in the State 
unless the wholesaler acts as a collection site for thermostats that contain mercury.  A 
wholesaler may meet the requirements of this subsection by participating as a collection 
site in a manufacturer collection and recycling program under subsection 2.  A wholesaler 
shall post in a prominent location open to public view a notice about the financial 
incentive plan developed pursuant to subsection 4.  The notice must be approved by the 
department and supplied by the manufacturer at no cost to the wholesaler. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
2-B.  Termination of retailer participation.  A manufacturer may terminate a 
retailer's participation in the collection program under subsection 2, paragraph A only 
after complying with the provisions of this subsection. 
A.  The manufacturer must notify the retailer, in writing, of noncompliance with 
program policies and procedures and provide the retailer an opportunity to comply. 
B.  If the retailer continues to send in significant ineligible materials through the 
collection program after 2 written notices of noncompliance, the manufacturer may 
terminate the retailer's participation. 
C.  For termination to occur under this subsection, the manufacturer must notify the 
retailer and the department in writing. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
4.  Financial incentive plan.  The department shall develop a manufacturer financial 
incentive plan in 2 phases.  By January 1, 2007, the department shall develop phase one 
of the plan, which must address collection of mercury-added thermostats from contractors 
and service technicians.  By August 1, 2007, the department shall develop phase 2 of the 
plan, which must address collection of mercury-added thermostats from homeowners.  
The plan must be developed in consultation with a stakeholder group that includes 
representatives from the thermostat industry, environmental groups, thermostat 
wholesalers and service contractors.  The plan must be developed in a manner that 
ensures to the maximum extent practical that: 
A.  The capture rate of out-of-service mercury-added thermostats is maximized; 
B.  Adequate incentives and education are provided to contractors, service 
technicians and homeowners to encourage return of thermostats to established 
recycling collection points; 
C.  Administrative costs of the plan are minimized; 
D.  The plan encourages the purchase of nonmercury thermostats qualified by the 
United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program as 
replacements for mercury-added thermostats; and 
E.  Mechanisms are in place to protect against the fraudulent return of thermostats. 
The plan must include a requirement that manufacturers provide a financial incentive 
with a minimum value of $5 for the return of each mercury-added thermostat to an 
established recycling collection point in accordance with subsection 2, paragraphs E and 
F.  The financial incentive may include, without limitation, cash, rebates, discounts, 
coupons or other incentives. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
5.  Goals.  The goal of the collection and recycling efforts under this section is to 
collect and recycle at least 125 pounds of mercury per year from mercury-added 
thermostats within 2 years after the development of phase one of the plan required by 
subsection 4 and at least 160 pounds of mercury per year within 3 years after the 
development of phase 2 of the plan required by subsection 4. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
6.  Report.  Annually, the department shall submit to the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters a report that includes an 
evaluation of the effectiveness of the thermostat collection and recycling programs 
established under this section, information on actual collection rates and 
recommendations for any statutory changes concerning the collection and recycling of 
mercury-added thermostats.  The report may be included in the report required pursuant 
to section 1772, subsection 1. 
This subsection is repealed December 31, 2023. 
7.  Contractor reporting and record-keeping requirements.  Beginning March 1, 
2017, and annually thereafter, a contractor shall electronically submit to the department a 
report, in a format determined by the department, that includes at a minimum the 
following information: 
A.  The contractor's name, mailing address and telephone number; 
B.  The name, mailing address and telephone number of the person who maintains 
records for the contractor detailing mercury-added thermostat removals performed by 
the contractor; 
C.  The number of service technicians employed by the contractor; and 
D.  The number of mercury-added thermostats removed from service by the 
contractor and the service technicians employed by the contractor and the location of 
the collection point where removed thermostats were disposed of. 
A contractor shall maintain a copy of each report submitted under this subsection for at 
least 3 years following submission of the report to the department.  A contractor shall 
maintain a written record detailing customer names and the date and location of each 
mercury-added thermostat removed. 
The department shall include information related to the reports submitted under this 
subsection in the report required pursuant to section 1772, subsection 1. 
This subsection is repealed March 31, 2019. 
Sec. 2.  Department of Environmental Protection; review of financial 
incentive plan.  The Department of Environmental Protection shall review the financial 
incentive plan established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 1665-B, 
subsection 4 and, by February 15, 2016, shall submit a report to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources that contains, at a minimum, the 
following recommendations and, where applicable, corresponding implementing 
legislation: 
1.  Recommendations regarding reduction of the complexity and costs of the 
manufacturer thermostat collection and recycling program established pursuant to Title 
38, section 1665-B, subsection 2; 
2.  Recommendations regarding improving the effectiveness of the manufacturer 
thermostat collection and recycling program, including changes in the mechanism for 
manufacturer payment of the financial incentive, the form of the financial incentive 
payment and the roles and responsibility of each participant in the program; and 
3.  Recommendations regarding the continuation of the thermostat disposal ban under 
Title 38, section 1663. 
The department may include the report required under this section in the report 
required pursuant to Title 38, section 1772, subsection 1. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the laws regarding the collection and recycling of mercury-added 
thermostats as follows:  
1.  It adds a definition for the term "contractor"; 
2.  It clarifies that the financial incentive provided for the return of a mercury-added 
thermostat is to be provided to the contractor or homeowner who removed the thermostat 
from service; 
3.  It changes the due date on the annual manufacturer's report to the Department of 
Environmental Protection from January 30th to April 1st and removes the requirement 
that the report contain an accounting of administrative costs; 
4.  It requires contractors to submit annual reports to the department containing 
information on the contractor and the thermostats removed from service and disposed of 
during the previous calendar year; and 
5.  It repeals at a future date certain portions of the laws regarding the collection and 
recycling of mercury-added thermostats.  
The bill directs the department to review the financial incentive plan under the laws 
regarding the collection and recycling of mercury-added thermostats and, by February 15, 
2016, submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources addressing certain aspects of the plan and, where applicable, recommending 
legislation to amend the plan or other relevant laws.