Also See: What's New for EPA and/or
What's New for National/State Environmental Excellence Awards

Information on this page highlights national programs relevant to automotive recycling environmental compliance.

The National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program
(NVMSRP) Update

All 49 states continue to participate in the NVMSRP. Removal and recovery efforts so far in 2009 are led by CA, NY, NC, OH, WI, FL, IL, MN, IN, WA, MA, and MI and all states helped to recover 195,457 switches and 430.01 lbs. of mercury in 2009 to date, bringing the 3+ year program recovered totals to *2,123,998* switches and *4,672.80 lbs* of mercury.

Approximately 7,509 automobile recyclers have agreed to remove and recover the switches before sending vehicles to scrap recyclers, who in turn send the clean cars to steel mills. The top 10 states with the largest number of participating recyclers continue to to be, in descending order: TX, NY, CA, IN, IA, IL, NC, LA, WI, and OH. See http://www.eqonline.com/services/ELVS-Mercury-Switch-Recovery-Program.asp for more detailed information.

It is estimated that there are around 38 million switches at the present time in vehicles on the road. The program expects to collect at least 4 million switches by August 2009. NVMSRP will sunset in 2017 based on estimates that 90 percent of the auto mercury switches will be retired by then.

Effective August 1, 2008, the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program (NVMSRP) increased the payment for mercury switches removed from trunks and hoods from $1 to $4 and for anti-lock brake system assemblies (that contain mercury switches) from $3 to $6 each.

In August 2006, an agreement was reached between the US EPA, American Iron & Steel Institute, Automotive Recycler’s Association, Ecology Center, Environmental Council of States, Environmental Defense, End of Life Vehicle Solutions, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, and the Steel Manufacturers Association on a voluntary national program, NVMSRP, for recovering mercury switches from scrap vehicles before they are shredded for recycling.

ELVS contracts with The Environmental Quality Company (EQ), an environmental services company to facilitate mercury switch collection programs.

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