New Direction For Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act

Floor Speech

NEW DIRECTION FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - August 04, 2007)

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Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I am on the Committee of Energy and Commerce, but because of the restrictions of time for this very important bill, I appreciate him giving me time off the Small Business Committee's timeline.

Mr. Chairman, I come to the floor of the House to actually educate Members about some stuff that is in this bill of which they may not be aware. I had an amendment in subcommittee and full committee, and the again yesterday in the Rules Committee that was not made in order. But this amendment deals with the timeline that is going to outlaw the incandescent bulb in this country by 2012. That means, for the current time, you will be using one of these for your light bulbs at home, a compact fluorescent bulb. Perhaps a good idea. They last a long time, they consume less energy; but, Mr. Chairman, they also contain mercury, about 5 milligrams per light bulb.

What is the problem with that? The problem with that is these light bulbs can break. And if they do, what does the Environmental Protection Agency recommend? It recommends you open the window and leave the room for 5 minutes. It recommends that you double-bag your vacuum cleaner bag to pick up all the parts you can without vacuuming, and when you do vacuum put the vacuum cleaner bag in a double plastic bag and send it only to a landfill that accepts mercury. A pretty onerous burden to put upon the taxpayers of the United States.

But the real concern that I have is that we have locations in this country where we have vulnerable populations that are difficult to move: a nursery in a hospital, a daycare center, a nursing home with nonambulatory patients. If you break a compact fluorescent bulb in one of those locations, you are in for big trouble. You have got to move 20 children who are in a nursery before 15 minutes time is up? Most nurseries that I worked in, in hospitals, don't even have a window to open. So how are you going to comply with those EPA guidelines?

The fact of the matter is, my amendment would have had language that said: no nursery, hospital, nursing home is compelled to use a compact fluorescent bulb where the population might be vulnerable if there were the escape of mercury out into the environment.

Unfortunately, the House Speaker, the House leadership did not want that amendment made in order. We now all have these in our offices over in the Longworth Building. I know I found two. I wasn't told that they were being put in the office.

People need to know, they need to be aware that there are very specific guidelines that deal with the breaks of these bulbs, and it is important that they not be compelled to be used in nurseries or with vulnerable populations.

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