By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-897746.mp3
Albany, NY – A milestone for Albany is being celebrated this Earth Day - the New York State Senate has passed an electronic waste recycling bill by a unanimous 60-0 vote. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
The bill, structured in line with existing e-waste laws that have been enacted in other states, represents arguably the most progressive, best researched e-waste bill in the nation. Kate Sinding, Senior Attorney for Natural Resources Defense Council, anticipates that the two houses, with Governor Paterson's help, will come together and pass a single bill giving all New Yorkers the chance to conveniently and freely recycle their used electronics: "The State Assembly passed a similar bill last session, so we'll now be looking for the two houses to agree on a reconciliation bill that would resolve one, relatively minor difference between the two bills: deciding whether manufacturers should be allowed to continue to charge large businesses for collecting their e-waste, which many currently do under long-term provider contracts."
Sinding is confident the issue will be resolved. The bill would pre-empt New York City's 2008 e-waste recycling bill, which has been held up by a lawsuit from the electronics industry. While the Natural Resources Defense Council favors the city law and played a big role in seeing it enacted, the state law would make the lawsuit (and the threat from the electronics industry to kill it) moot because it would apply statewide.
Environmentalists like the e-Waste bill, because its passage into law will result not only in products with fewer toxic components that are reusable and recyclable: it will also save consumers money by being less expensive to recycle, and save the Earth by requiring less use of virgin materials.