State legislation to phase out button-cell batteries that contain toxic mercury should be passed this year. Although diminutive in size for use in toys and other novelty items, the cumulative effect of improper disposal of them is damaging to Maine’s air, streams and lakes. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection estimates the button batteries sold in our state each year contain about 45 pounds of mercury; approximately 22 pounds of which goes to trash incinerators. Some of this vaporized mercury is bound to escape the incinerators’ smokestack controls, poisoning our environment.

Maine has been a leader in removing mercury-laden products such as thermometers, thermostats, dental fillings and auto switches from our waste stream during the past four years. Banning the offending button batteries would polish off the clean sweep, taking mercury reduction measures about as far as Maine can go. The onus would then fall on the shoulders of the biggest mercury polluter by far: Midwestern dirty, old coal-fired power plants.

Several battery manufacturers have developed alternative mercury-free button cell batteries, which are sold in Europe for about the same price (or slightly higher) as the ones currently available in this country. Therefore, a viable substitute exists.

The proposed ban on mercury-containing button cell batteries wouldn’t kick in until 2010. As a check, the DEP plans to revisit technological advances in 2008 to study the feasibility of industry compliance by the 2010 deadline.

Sounds like a practical piece of the mercury pollution solution to me.

Patti Mikkelsen, New Gloucester