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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:10.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><b><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>EPA
Assessment Highlights Mercury-Free Alternatives<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>November
18, 2008 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>There are
alternatives to mercury, according to a preliminary assessment of the uses of
elemental mercury in a number of products. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has concluded that switches, relays, button cell batteries, non-fever
thermometers, and measuring devices, such as thermostats, don't have to contain
mercury. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Under the
Chemical Assessment and Management Program, EPA evaluated the use of elemental
mercury in certain products and the availability of effective, economical
mercury-free alternatives. The assessment determined that the use of mercury in
certain products poses a "high-priority, special concern." The agency
plans to take prompt regulatory and voluntary action to encourage the use of
mercury-free alternatives and reduce the use of mercury in products. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>EPA has
also developed a searchable database that pulls together publicly available
information from various sources to help identify consumer and commercial
products that contain mercury and their possible non-mercury alternatives. EPA
encourages people to use non-mercury alternatives whenever possible as an
important way to prevent exposure to mercury, including exposure due to breakage.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For more
information on the mercury assessment, visit <a
href="http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html">http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/hpvis/index.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:3.75pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:4.5pt;background:white'><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For more
information on the database, go to <a
href="http://www.epa.gov/mercury/database.htm">http://www.epa.gov/mercury/database.htm</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<DIV STYLE="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Courier New"><EM><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="2">The Department of Environmental
Protection values your feedback as a customer. DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole is committed to continuously assessing and
improving the level and quality of services provided to you. Please take a few minutes to comment on the quality of
service you received. <eXclaimer:HTML_ONLY>Simply click on <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Glen.Perrigan@dep.state.fl.us">this link to the DEP Customer
Survey</A>.</eXclaimer:HTML_ONLY> Thank you in advance for completing the survey.</FONT></EM></DIV>
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