Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117534

Madeline P. Beery, MEd, Washington State Department of Health, Office of Environmental Health Assessment, 7171 Cleanwater LAnge, Bldg 2, PO Box 47846, Olympia, WA 98504-7846, 360-236-3189, madeline.beery@doh.wa.gov

The paper presents the Mercury Education and Reduction program in Washington State. The program consists of several mercury product recycling efforts that have resulted from the MERA legislation. Specifically, this session will focus on an EPA grant-supported focusing on mercury thermostat recycling efforts using the Thermostat Recycling Corporation's (TRC) stewardship take-back program. This program involves working collaboratively both a national level as part of a Mercury Thermostat Stewardship Working Group, and with seven counties throughout the state of Washington. Risk communication strategies will be presented, as will strategies for increasing risk reduction. The presentation will explore the adaptation of HAARP Behavior Change model to environmental health.

The Mercury Education Reduction Act (MERA) mandates that the DOH educate business, local government, schools and the public about mercury reduction, and the new Washington regulations on mercury product purchase and disposal. This presentation will describe the key elements of the Mercury Education Plan for local governments, schools and the public. Specifically, the presenter will describe the behavior change strategies applied and the state-wide collaborations built to support the project. Additionally, the presenter will outline key steps taken at the national level by the Mercury Stewardship Working Group to expand the thermostat stewardship program supported by TRC.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session the learner will be able to

• Describe the negative health effects of mercury exposure.
• Identify at least 4 strategies used in Washington State to reduce mercury contamination.
• Discuss at least 3 collaborations used to further risk communication.
• Describe a national stewardship collaboration that is working in the thermostat recycling arena.
• Describe the relationship between the thermostat recycling collaboration on risk communication.

Keywords: Public Health Education and Health Promotion, Risk Communication

Related Web page: www.doh.wa.gov/mercury

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF No exceptions exist..