Energy Efficient Light Bulbs May Leak Toxic Mercury: Still Safe?

Tucked away in the last Energy Bill passed by Congress and signed by the President was a little-discussed provision that banned incandescent light bulbs by 2014. Now, as it turns out, if the new bulbs break (the curled bulbs are on sale in many stores now) the mercury contained in them will leak out.

In one study from Maine, it was discovered that “immediately after the bulb was broken – and sometimes even after a cleanup was attempted – levels of mercury vapor exceeded federal guidelines for chronic exposure by as much as 100 times.” While there are no guidelines for dealing with such a toxic spill in the home, researchers suggested “If there are young children or pregnant woman in the house, consider cutting out the piece of carpet where the lamp broke as a precaution.”
I love it! if these bulbs were toys made in China, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and most of the dopes in Congress that voted for this bill in the first place would have been all over this clamoring for “safe light bulbs” and decrying GE for “unsafe lighting” and “pursuit of profit at the expense of safety.” Of course, since these newfangled toxic bulbs were foisted upon us by Congress and the greens, there’s nary a peep about safety.
Seriously, though, who wants to cut a hole in their carpet every time a light bulb breaks? You better have a lot of furniture to cover those holes.
Hat Tip – The Westerner