E.__Provide education and outreach services to heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors in the State that are sufficient to ensure that the contractors are familiar with the collection and recycling program and the environmental and human health reasons for safeguarding mercury; and

F.__Take any measurers other than those in this subsection necessary to meet or exceed the target in subsection 3.

2.__Reporting.__By January 15, 2005 and annually thereafter, manufacturers of mercury-added thermostats sold in the State shall report to the department on the progress of the collection and recycling program under subsection 1.__The report must include education and outreach efforts undertaken and the number of units of mercury-added thermostats and the number of pounds of mercury collected and recovered at each of the collection centers and in total.

3.__Goal and target.__The goal of the collection and recycling program under subsection 1 is to collect and recycle at least 90% of all mercury-added thermostats removed from buildings in the State.__The interim target for the collection and recycling program is to have 100 pounds of mercury from thermostats removed from buildings by December 31, 2005.

Sec. 3. Reports. Before January 30, 2006, the Department of Environmental Protection shall submit a report that assesses the effectiveness of the collection and recycling program identified in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 1664-A to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters. If the interim target identified in Title 38, section 1664-A, subsection 3 is not met, the report must include a plan for the implementation of a program under which the manufacturers of mercury-added thermostats sold in the State pay compensation for each mercury-added thermostat returned to a collection center.

SUMMARY

This bill requires manufacturers of mercury-added thermostats sold in the State to participate in a collection and recycling program that includes establishing 100 collection centers in the State for the collection of mercury-added