Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
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PUBLIC HEALTH
(410 ILCS 46/) Mercury-added Product Prohibition Act.

410 ILCS 46/1

    (410 ILCS 46/1)
    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Mercury-added Product Prohibition Act.
(Source: P.A. 95-87, eff. 8-13-07.)

410 ILCS 46/5

    (410 ILCS 46/5)
    Sec. 5. Findings.
    (a) The General Assembly finds:
        (1) that human exposure to mercury can result in
    
adverse health effects, and mercury pollutants have been linked to nervous system, kidney, and liver damage and impaired childhood development;
        (2) that mercury fever thermometers are easily
    
broken, creating a potential risk of dangerous exposure to mercury vapor in indoor air and risking mercury contamination of the environment;
        (3) that accidental mercury spills and thermometer
    
breakages have proven costly to clean up;
        (4) that according to the Mercury Study Report,
    
prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and submitted to the U.S. Congress in 1997, mercury fever thermometers contribute approximately 17 tons of mercury to solid waste each year;
        (5) that according to the U.S. Environmental
    
Protection Agency, the quantity of mercury in one mercury fever thermometer, approximately one gram, is enough to contaminate all fish in a lake with a surface area of 20 acres;
        (6) that accurate and safe alternatives to mercury
    
thermometers are readily available and comparable in cost; and
        (7) that many national pharmacy and retail chains
    
have discontinued the sale of mercury thermometers to consumers.
    (b) It is the purpose of this Act to prohibit the sale, distribution, or promotional gifts of mercury fever thermometers in this State.
(Source: P.A. 93-165, eff. 1-1-04.)

410 ILCS 46/10

    (410 ILCS 46/10)
    Sec. 10. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act, the words and terms defined in this Section shall have the meaning given, unless the context otherwise clearly requires.
    "Agency" means the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
    "Mercury fever thermometer" means any device containing liquid mercury wherein the liquid mercury is used to measure the internal body temperature of a person.
    "Mercury-added novelty" means a mercury-added product intended for personal or household enjoyment, including but not limited to: toys, figurines, adornments, games, cards, ornaments, yard statues and figurines, candles, jewelry, holiday decorations, and footwear and other items of apparel.
    "Mercury-added product" means a product to which mercury is added intentionally during formulation of manufacture, or a product containing one or more components to which mercury is intentionally added during formulation or manufacture.
    "Health care facility" means any hospital, nursing home, extended care facility, long-term facility, clinic or medical laboratory, State or private health or mental institution, clinic, physician's office, or health maintenance organization.
    "Hospital" means any institution, place, building, or agency, public or private, whether organized for profit or not, devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of facilities for the diagnosis and treatment or care of 2 or more unrelated persons admitted for overnight stay or longer in order to obtain medical, including obstetric, psychiatric, and nursing, care of illness, disease, injury, infirmity, or deformity.
    "Person" means any individual, partnership, co-partnership, firm, company, limited liability company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, estate, political subdivision, State agency, or non-profit organization, or any other legal entity.
    "Zinc air button cell battery" means a battery that resembles a button in size and shape with a zinc anode, an alkaline electrolyte, and a cathode that is capable of catalyzing oxygen when present.
(Source: P.A. 97-1107, eff. 7-1-13.)

410 ILCS 46/15

    (410 ILCS 46/15)
    Sec. 15. Sale, distribution, or promotional gifts of mercury fever thermometers prohibited.
    (a) On or after July 1, 2004, no person shall sell, distribute, or give for promotional purposes (including online retail) mercury fever thermometers in this State.
    (b) On or after July 1, 2004, no hospital shall distribute mercury fever thermometers in maternity or new baby gift packs to patients.
    (c) This Section does not apply to mercury fever thermometers sold or provided to be used in a health care facility.
(Source: P.A. 93-165, eff. 1-1-04.)

410 ILCS 46/20

    (410 ILCS 46/20)
    Sec. 20. Manufacturing of mercury fever thermometers prohibited. On or after July 1, 2004, no person shall manufacture a mercury fever thermometer in this State.
(Source: P.A. 93-165, eff. 1-1-04.)

410 ILCS 46/22

    (410 ILCS 46/22)
    Sec. 22. Sale and distribution of cosmetics, toiletries, or fragrances containing mercury. No person shall distribute or sell any cosmetics, toiletries, or fragrances containing mercury. Any person who knowingly sells or distributes mercury-containing cosmetics, toiletries, or fragrances in this State is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined an amount not to exceed $500.
(Source: P.A. 95-1019, eff. 6-1-09.)

410 ILCS 46/23

    (410 ILCS 46/23)
    Sec. 23. Disclosure. Any person in this State manufacturing cosmetics, toiletries, or fragrances containing mercury must disclose the level of mercury in the product. A manufacturer who fails to disclose the level of mercury in its cosmetics, toiletries, or fragrances is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined $10,000.
(Source: P.A. 95-1019, eff. 6-1-09.)

410 ILCS 46/25

    (410 ILCS 46/25)
    Sec. 25. Sale, distribution, or promotional gifts of mercury-added novelty products prohibited. On and after July 1, 2004, no mercury-added novelty products may be offered for sale or distributed for promotional purposes in Illinois if the offeror or distributor knows or has reason to know that the product contains mercury, unless the mercury is solely within a button-cell battery or a fluorescent light bulb.
(Source: P.A. 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)

410 ILCS 46/27

    (410 ILCS 46/27)
    Sec. 27. Sale and distribution of certain mercury-added products prohibited.
    (a) No person shall sell, offer to sell, or distribute the following mercury-added products in this State:
        (1) barometers;
        (2) esophageal dilators, bougie tubes, or
    
gastrointestinal tubes;
        (3) flow meters;
        (4) hydrometers;
        (5) hygrometers;
        (6) manometers;
        (7) pyrometers;
        (8) sphygmomanometers;
        (9) thermometers;
        (10) psychrometers;
        (11) pressure transducers;
        (12) rings;
        (13) seals;
        (14) sensors; or
        (15) zinc air button cell batteries.
    (b) This Section does not apply to the sale of a mercury-added product listed in paragraphs (1) through (15) of subsection (a) if use of the product is a federal requirement or if the only mercury-added component in the product is a button cell battery, other than a zinc air button cell battery.
    (c) This Section does not apply to the sale of a mercury-added product listed in paragraphs (1) through (15) of subsection (a) for which an exemption is obtained under this subsection (c). The manufacturer of the product may apply for an exemption for one or more uses of the product by filing a written petition with the Agency. The Agency may grant an exemption, with or without conditions, if the manufacturer demonstrates the following:
        (1) a system exists for the proper collection,
    
transportation, and processing of the product at the end of its useful life; and
        (2) one of the following applies:
            (i) use of the product provides a net benefit to
        
the environment, public health, or public safety when compared to available nonmercury alternatives; or
            (ii) technically feasible nonmercury alternatives
        
are not available at comparable cost.
    Before approving an exemption, the Agency may consult with other states to promote consistency in the regulation of the product for which the exemption is requested. The Agency may also publish notice of its receipt of petitions for exemptions on its website and consider public comments submitted in response to the petitions. Exemptions shall be granted for a term of 5 years and may be renewed for additional 5-year terms upon written application by the manufacturer if the manufacturer demonstrates that the criteria of this subsection (c) and the conditions of the product's original exemption approval continue to be met. All petitions for exemptions and exemption renewals shall be submitted on forms prescribed by the Agency.
(Source: P.A. 97-459, eff. 7-1-12; 97-1107, eff. 7-1-13.)

410 ILCS 46/30

    (410 ILCS 46/30)
    Sec. 30. Penalty for violation. Except as provided in Sections 22 and 23 of this Act, a person who violates this Act shall be guilty of a petty offense and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $200 for each violation.
(Source: P.A. 95-1019, eff. 6-1-09.)

410 ILCS 46/35

    (410 ILCS 46/35)
    Sec. 35. The Agency may participate in the establishment and implementation of a regional, multistate clearinghouse to assist in carrying out the requirements of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 95-87, eff. 8-13-07.)

410 ILCS 46/40

    (410 ILCS 46/40)
    Sec. 40. Mercury-containing compact fluorescent lighting; Internet Web site and outreach; procurement.
    (a) By October 1, 2009, the Agency shall create a Web site that provides information on the mercury content of compact fluorescent lamps used in residential applications, what to do when a fluorescent lamp breaks, and options for consumers to safely manage and recycle spent mercury-containing compact fluorescent lamps generated in the State. The Agency shall also collaborate with lamp manufacturers, retailers, utilities, local governments, environmental organizations, and solid waste haulers on outreach efforts to inform consumers about the safe and proper management of spent mercury-containing fluorescent lamps. In developing an outreach strategy, the Agency shall consider a variety of media and methods for disseminating information, including, but not limited to, point of sale information, newspaper and magazine advertisements, Web sites, package markings, bill inserts, public service announcements, and stickers for dumpsters and trash bins.
    (b) By March 1, 2010, the Department of Central Management Services, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Agency, shall review and revise procurement specifications for lamps and ballasts purchased by State agencies. The specifications shall be revised to optimize energy efficiency, toxics reduction, lighting quality, and lamp life, taking into account performance, availability and cost considerations. After July 1, 2010, the Department of Central Management Services shall ensure that the environmental and performance specifications developed under this subsection are incorporated into bid solicitations issued, and contracts entered into, for lamps and ballasts purchased by State agencies.
    (c) For the purposes of this subsection,
        (1) "Lamp" means the bulb or tube portion of an
    
electrical lighting device, including, but not limited to, a compact fluorescent lamp; a linear, circular or u-bent tube; a high intensity discharge lamp; or an exit sign lamp or fixture.
        (2) "Ballast" means a device used to provide and
    
control the voltage in a linear fluorescent lamp.
(Source: P.A. 96-393, eff. 8-13-09.)