My Own Political Party

You’ve heard the news - California is considering REQUIRING all households use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). These light bulbs are so efficient that, according to lawmakers in California, everyone should be using them. Save the environment - switch light bulbs. A story that was reported in the National Post is very interesting.

Environmentalists forget to mention one little fact about CFLs. They contain mercury, a potentially hazardous substance. What happens if you break a CFL? Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine, was soon to find out. It seems that she was changing a light bulb in her daughters room and it broke. Fortunately, she knew that the CFL bulb contained hazardous substances and she called Home Depot (where she bought the bulb) and inquired about what she should do. Home Depot told her to Poison Control hotline, who in turn told her to call the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP sent an employee to the house to check for mercury levels. The mercury levels in the bedroom were six times the safe level. A $4.28 bulb is now going to cost Bridges over $2000. The bedroom was sealed and a company was contacted for cleaning. Her insurance company won’t pay - mercury is considered a pollutant.

What happens when these bulbs are disposed of? I am certain that many homeowners will just throw them in the trash. Watch for rising mercury levels in lakes, streams and groundwater to be an issue in the future.