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Press Release of Cogressman Thompson

18 July 2002 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Laura Dossa (202) 225-3311

Ed Matovcik 707-226-9898

500 Million Old Computers Leading to E-Waste Nightmare

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five hundred million computers will need to be disposed of by 2007. Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced legislation today to address the growing problem of what to do with these old computers.

Experts estimate that more than 41 million personal computers will become obsolete in the U.S. this year. The electronic waste (e-waste) generated from this trash contains hazardous materials including lead, mercury and PVC plastics. The lack of environmentally sound computer recycling operations has led to e-waste being responsible for 70% of all heavy metals found in U.S. landfills today. Thompson charges that the problem isn’t only in the landfills. “Seventy-five percent of obsolete computers are in storage awaiting disposal. It’s an e-waste nightmare.”

Thompson’s Computer Hazardous-Waste Infrastructure Program (CHIP) Act will require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer a grant program to aid the establishment of computer recycling programs in the United States. EPA will award grants on a competitive basis to organizations and state and local governments that recycle computers in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner.

“We can’t afford to continue endangering our health and our environment and filling our landfills by ignoring the problems created by computer waste,” said Thompson. “Since our recycling programs cannot handle the vast amounts of waste, up to 80% of the e-waste is actually exported to Asia, where it ends up in riverbeds or is illegally and improperly disposed.”

"The availability of government funding has been critical to building our country's recycling collection system, driving investment in new recycling technologies and keeping the public engaged and educated about the importance and process for recycling,” said National Recycling Coalition Executive Director Kate M. Krebs. “There is an urgency to begin now to build an infrastructure for the e-waste that our country's citizens are generating."

There are no federal or state laws in the U.S. that require computer manufacturers to buy back or recycle their products. As a result, local governments and organizations have been left with the responsibility to process large amounts of hazardous waste.

“More than 6,000 computers become obsolete in California every day,” said John Woolley, Humboldt County Supervisor and Waste Management Board Member. “It is important that local governments have the financial resources to address this problem with comprehensive recycling programs.”

“Over 50% of American households own computers and we’re discarding them faster and sooner,” added Thompson. “A computer’s average lifespan now is only two years. By 2007, this trend will have generated 1.58 billion pounds of lead and 632,000 pounds of mercury, much of which will end up in our environment.”

“This bill will provide a very important first-step mechanism for dealing with e-wastes while ensuring that less and less hazardous wastes will contaminate US soil,” said Jim Puckett, coordinator of the Basel Action Network, an organization working to end toxic waste export and dumping. “The next vital step will be to ensure that the diversion does not and can not result in more and more wastes bound for dangerous recycling in Asia.”

The legislation will be funded by assessing a fee of up to $10 for all retail sales of individual computers, monitors and laptops. This is the first time this problem has been addressed on the federal level. In addition, the bill will require the EPA to study the quantities of computer waste being generated now and in the future. The study will also include statistics regarding the exportation of computer waste out of the United States.

H.R. 5158 is cosponsored by Represenatatives Sherrod Brown (OH), Cynthia McKinney (GA), Karen Thurman (FL), Bob Filner (CA), Louise Slaughter (NY), Tony Hall (OH), George Miller (CA) and Earl Blumenauer (OR). It is expected to go to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for consideration.