[John Jorsett]

Looks like if you want to shut down a public building for a while, all you have to do is ‘accidently’ break one of their CFL bulbs. The easy alternative to anthrax.

[cripplecreek]

I like them. Sweep, trash, and forget.

[Sherman Logan]

Seems fairly obvious that you shouldn’t call DEP when you break one.

Interestingly, there is no statement that she was required to clean it up like a hazardous waste site, only that it was recommended.

[Nick Danger]

[Disambiguator]

The potentially hazardous CFL is being pushed by companies such as Wal-Mart, which wants to sell 100 million CFLs at five times the cost of incandescent bulbs during 2007, and, surprisingly, environmentalists.

Five times the cost of environmentalists?

[rellimpank]

—idiocy—

[dighton]

I suspect that flushing $2,000 would make most of us sicker than would the mercury level in Ms. Bridges’ bedroom.

[Doctor Raoul]

Dumb envirowackos are poisening, no, make that raping, raping Mother Earth with their Pries cars and energy saving light bulbs.

[SoCalPol]

Here is a major issue:

Fluorescent lighting — Anyone who has anytype of seizures and the light flickers even the slightest without outright seeing it will bring on seizures.

This is also one of the tests Neurologists put you through, flicking lights to check for seizures.

[xcamel]

very high fool/money ratio in that story...

[Boundless]

CFLs make sense for non-dimmed fixtures that are
on for extended periods. We use them in most of
our lights.

But rabid EDS victims (Edison Derangement Syndrome)
need to await mass market LED lamps.

Patience, glasshopper.

[Retired Chemist]

What a crock! Just another over reaction from a government agency.

[SledgeCS]

$2000 for a 4-5mg spill? I remember as a kid playing with the mercury in my dad’s garage. It was in a 4” bottle that had to weight 4-8oz, well that much before us kids found it. I am pretty sure I could move a toolbox or 2 in that garage and still find those little grey balls of mercury against the wall. If I tell my father about the cost there goes my inheritance.

[Cicero]

Moral of the story: Do NOT call in the DEP or the EPA. If you do, you will never get free of them again.

Probably when this lady goes to sell her house, she will be required to warn potential buyers that it has been contaminated with dangerous pollutants.

[stockpirate]

So what it saves the planet from carbon eating jellyfish.

[theBuckwheat]

Deliberately dropping a CFL on the floor in a public building is an act of such wide ranging consequences that it could be considered an act of terrorism.

[Publius6961]

According to an April 12 article in The Ellsworth American, Bridges had the misfortune of breaking a CFL during installation in her daughter's bedroom: It dropped and shattered on the carpeted floor.

Light bulbs don't kill people.
Neurotic klutzes kill people.

Just saying.

[Sundog]

You just can’t make this stuff up. CFL light bulbs being toxic if they are broken and can’t be assembled in the USA?

Well.... I’ll have to remember those two.

[The Energizer]

For Freepers who want to dispose of NON-broken CFL bulbs when they finally quit working, check your local hazardous waste diposal location.

I took my expired CFL there last week. No problems at all.

[CyberAnt]

Soooooo .. once again .. the liberals have created a MESS!

In their quest to SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT these lightbulbs actually can cause MORE DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT .. and practically bankrupt the user.

Good going liberals .. as usual .. you never look at the results of what you do .. it’s only INSTANT GRATIFICATION.