1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to the environment; allowing the pollution 
  1.3             control agency to continue to do environmental 
  1.4             assessments at automobile salvage yards; providing 
  1.5             incentives for recycling mercury from automobiles; 
  1.6             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.7             sections 116.66, subdivisions 2, 4, and by adding a 
  1.8             subdivision; and 116.92, subdivision 3. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 116.66, 
  1.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [FACILITY EVALUATIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.] 
  1.13  (a) The commissioner of the pollution control agency shall 
  1.14  conduct facility evaluations to evaluate ongoing waste 
  1.15  management practices and shall provide technical assistance for 
  1.16  corrective action at motor vehicle salvage facilities.  
  1.17     (b) The commissioner shall may conduct environmental 
  1.18  assessments at a representative group of motor vehicle salvage 
  1.19  facilities to determine the extent and magnitude of any 
  1.20  contamination, environmental impacts, develop criteria, and 
  1.21  determine appropriate cleanup methods. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 116.66, is 
  1.23  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.24     Subd. 3a.  [SALVAGE AUTOMOBILES; MERCURY SWITCH REMOVAL; 
  1.25  INCENTIVES.] Beginning January 1, 1996, and continuing until 
  1.26  December 31, 1996, the commissioner shall pay to a person who 
  1.27  owns or operates a motor vehicle salvage facility 33 cents per 
  2.1   electric switch containing mercury taken from a salvaged motor 
  2.2   vehicle and recycled by an approved recycler.  A person eligible 
  2.3   for payment under this subdivision shall apply for the payment 
  2.4   in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.  The commissioner 
  2.5   shall make the payments to applicants required under this 
  2.6   subdivision quarterly. 
  2.7      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 116.66, 
  2.8   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.9      Subd. 4.  [REPEALER.] This section is repealed on the day 
  2.10  that the repeal of section 115A.908 is effective June 30, 1999.  
  2.11     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 116.92, 
  2.12  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.13     Subd. 3.  [LABELING; PRODUCTS CONTAINING MERCURY.] A 
  2.14  manufacturer or wholesaler may not sell and a retailer may not 
  2.15  knowingly sell any of the following items in this state that 
  2.16  contain mercury unless the item is labeled in a manner to 
  2.17  clearly inform a purchaser or consumer that mercury is present 
  2.18  in the item and that the item may not be placed in the garbage 
  2.19  until the mercury is removed and reused, recycled, or otherwise 
  2.20  managed to ensure that it does not become part of solid waste or 
  2.21  wastewater: 
  2.22     (1) a thermostat or thermometer; 
  2.23     (2) an electric switch, individually or as part of another 
  2.24  product, other than a motor vehicle; 
  2.25     (3) an appliance; and 
  2.26     (4) a medical or scientific instrument. 
  2.27     Sec. 5.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.28     $....... is transferred from the motor vehicle transfer 
  2.29  account to the environmental response, compensation, and 
  2.30  compliance account and is appropriated to the commissioner of 
  2.31  the pollution control agency to be available until June 30, 1997.
  2.32  Of this amount, $2,250,000 shall be used by the commissioner for 
  2.33  the purposes provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 115B.20, 
  2.34  subdivision 2, clauses (1) and (2), solely for response to 
  2.35  releases and threatened releases from motor vehicle salvage 
  2.36  facilities as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 116.66, and 
  3.1   shall be available until expended.  The commissioner shall set 
  3.2   priorities under Minnesota Rules, chapter 7044, for the use of 
  3.3   the appropriation for releases at motor vehicle salvage 
  3.4   facilities.  Of the total amount appropriated, $250,000 is to be 
  3.5   available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, and $250,000 
  3.6   is to be available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, to 
  3.7   be used by the commissioner to administer sections 1 to 3 and to 
  3.8   provide technical assistance to persons who own or operate a 
  3.9   motor vehicle salvage facility and to local units of government.