[GreenYes] Car Brand-Owner Take Back Event Looking for Local Activists

["Bill Sheehan" <zerowaste@grrn.org>]

Want to participate in an EPR (extended producer 
responsibility for waste) campaign to get toxic mercury 
out of automobiles?  The Clean Car Campaign is 
looking for local activists who have relationships with 
car dealerships.

Below is an excerpt from an alert.  For more 
information, visit www.cleancar.org, then contact 
Michael Bender at Tel: 802-223-9000, Email: 
MTBenderVT@aol.com. 

<<
Thank you for your interest in being a part of the Clean 
Car Campaign's national in-use auto mercury "switch-
the-switch" event, tentatively scheduled for November 
13, 2001. 

The Clean Car Campaign ("the Campaign") is a 
national coalition of environmental organizations 
dedicated to the "green" transformation of the 
automobile industry. In January, the Campaign released 
two reports that document the continued use of mercury 
by automakers and clearly show vehicles to be one of 
the nation's largest sources of mercury emissions.  At 
that time, we called on automakers to take immediate 
steps to eliminate all uses of mercury and take 
responsibility for removing the estimated 200 tons of 
mercury from the existing U.S. fleet of vehicles before 
it is released into the environment. The most prominent 
uses of mercury by automakers are switches used in 
trunk and hood convenience lighting and anti-lock 
braking systems; mercury-free alternatives are available 
for both applications, and have been for years.

[T]he Campaign is presently reaching out to 
environmental groups, businesses and agencies alike to 
help us implement "switch-the-switch" events across 
the country. The main goal of these events is to 
demonstrate the feasibility of an in-use automotive 
mercury switch removal and replacement program, 
while highlighting the importance of manufacturers 
assuming primary responsibility for this process.  Such 
an in-use removal/replacement program is an integral 
part of the dual strategy the Campaign is promoting. 
We believe a strategy that replaces convenience 
lighting mercury switches in-use, coupled with the end-
of-life collection of remaining automotive mercury, 
would help to attain the highest overall capture rates of 
this toxic material. 

While there are several possible approaches to 
removing mercury switches from vehicles currently on 
the road, the Campaign is hoping to organize switch-
the-switch events around two particular themes -- auto 
dealerships and government fleets. As an interested co-
sponsor of an event, your organization will have the 
opportunity to raise public awareness of the threats 
mercury poses to our health; highlight the importance 
of mercury management strategies; and demonstrate 
that partnerships with governments or business (i.e., 
dealerships) can be an effective way to address 
environmental problems.  The opportunities are many 
and the choice is yours. 
>>

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