Mercury Switch Program Boosting Payouts

The National Vehicle Mercury Switch Program boosted the payment it is making for both mercury switches and brake assemblies, both recovered from end-of-life vehicles.

Beginning the Aug. 1, 2008, the NVMSP increased the payment for mercury switches removed from trunks and hoods from $1 to $4; the group increased payment for the full brake assembly from $3 to $6. The mercury must be sent to the End of Live Vehicle Solutions, which in turn has a private company handle the shipment of the mercury to a safe, secure location where the mercury is processed.

The program, initially introduced in August of 2006, was initially slated to run for three years. The program received around $4 million in funding for the payment, with half the money coming from the auto industry, while the other half of the funding came from the U.S. steel industry. (To view a recent videocast explaining more about the mercury switch program click on the image to the right)

Mark Reiter, with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, notes that while an overwhelming majority of the auto shredders in the United States have signed up the program, ISRI, along with the Automotive Recyclers Association, are seeking even greater participation from companies involved in handling end-of-life vehicles. "More than 80 percent of the auto shredders in the United States already are involved in the program," he said.

"As a staff we have been aggressively promoting the program," Reiter says. "Our goal is to get them (both members and non-members of ISRI) signed up for the program," Reiter added.

To view a state-by-state breakout of the mercury switch program, from its beginning in 2006 to today click on the following link -- State Listing

Click on the following link to go to the Environmental Quality Company's Web site