Posted on 10/07/2009 6:25:04 AM PDT by EBH
They can keep their stupid tree hugger bulbs. I have about 10K in my storage warehouse. When they are buy one get one free, I clean the shelf out and buy them all.
On the Glenn Beck radio show today there was a caller from Ohio mentioning this very thing from First Energy.
Glenn Beck said that you would need to call EPA to clean up broken CFL - it costs $3,000 to clean up & that the floor will remain more toxic for kids to be on the floor.
How exactly do the light bulbs arrive?
If they come to your house by mail or even by UPS, it could be said that if there is mercury in the bulbs, it would be hazardous.
Can the Post Office or UPS/Fed Ex be expected to handle this type of shipment?
Perhaps this can be stopped?
You might consider smashing them in the middle of, Oh I don’t Know- some prominent location.
naw,just leave them on their doorstep
Gov. Strickland calls for a suspension and investigation into the CFL lightbulb program. Update
Governor Calls for Postponement of First Energy Light Bulb Program
Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following letter requesting the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio postpone First Energy’s light bulb program:
Dear Commissioner Schriber,
I am proud of the work you and your fellow commissioners and staff have accomplished since the passage of S.B. 221, Ohio’s comprehensive energy reform bill that ensures predictability of affordable energy prices and serves as a catalyst to enhance energy industries in Ohio. The energy efficiency mandate in this bill is set to reduce our energy consumption and to create jobs in the process.
However, since Tuesday, October 6, my office has received a very high volume of calls as a result of media reports regarding a conservation program to be implemented by First Energy. According to the articles, the PUCO approved a program wherein the First Energy operating companies are to supply customers with two compact florescent light bulbs at a cost of sixty cents per month over three years for a total of $21.60.
Ohioans are confused and angry and are looking for answers. First, the bulb program has been thrust upon them without their approval or prior knowledge. Second, it is my understanding that two bulbs will be provided at a cost in excess of $21.00. It is common knowledge that the efficient bulbs can be purchased for significantly less at popular retail outlets. Third, I am interested to know if there are any U.S. suppliers of these bulbs, or if First Energy had considered the use of bulbs manufactured in the United States.
Since First Energy’s program is under the purview of the PUCO, I am asking that you provide to me and members of the General Assembly answers to these questions and more details as to how these programs were developed.
In the mean time, I am asking you to postpone this program until these questions are answered.
I look forward to your immediate response.
Sincerely,
Ted Strickland
Ohio PUCO agrees with governor and demands suspension of the program pending further investigation.
They said that if you break two of these bulbs, you are to call the EPA.
Thanks for the update, Las Vegas Dave! :-)
Hey, ho, way to go Ohio!
in my kitchen however, right over the table they just don't produce enough light...thats' my opinion anyway...
I am a conserver and have always been, but it seems living in dim houses is not the way to go...
I bought some extra old fashioned ones just recently.
That's better.
Heard about this on the radio yesterday. Ugh, I HATE these new bulbs. I wonder if I called and said I didn't want them, don't charge me, what would they say. I may try it. On a related note - we've been buying regular incandescents here and there lately to stock up and other people must have the same idea - they were pretty much wiped out at walmart.
Heh, me too. We’ve been living in our current house for 5 1/2 years and are still working with about a dozen we’ve yet to replace in ceiling and bathroom fixtures.
Thank you for contacting the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regarding FirstEnergy’s compact fluorescent light bulb program. The PUCO has received a large volume of calls and emails from customers like you, and I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions.
On October 7, I received a letter from Gov. Ted Strickland asking that the PUCO postpone the light bulb program until such time as we can address questions raised by the governor, members of the Ohio General Assembly and FirstEnergy customers related to program details and costs. As a result, I have asked FirstEnergy to delay the start of the program until the PUCO can thoroughly assess the costs associated with it.
The PUCO approved the light bulb program in September following agreement among the company and other organizations including the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, your residential utility advocate. The program is part of FirstEnergy’s effort to meet the ambitious electricity conservation goals included in Ohio’s new energy law. By using less electricity, consumers can avoid having to pay higher energy costs in the future.
Under the program, FirstEnergy plans to provide each of its residential customers with two 23 watt, 10,000 hour compact fluorescent light bulbs. The high-quality ENERGYSTAR bulbs that the company is using for this program typically sell for around $5 each at area stores. On average, customers who install both bulbs provided by FirstEnergy will reduce their annual electricity consumption by about 160 kilowatt hours, saving approximately $10 each year.
Although the PUCO allowed FirstEnergy to implement the light bulb program, it did not approve any charges to appear on monthly bills. Reports in the media placed the cost to customers at sixty cents per month for three years, which equates to $21.60 over the life of the program. The PUCO did not approve these additional dollars nor did it receive a request from FirstEnergy to do so. It is also important to note that the PUCO approved the light bulb program for 2009 only.
Again, thank you for the chance to respond to your concerns. If you have additional utility-related concerns, please visit our Web site at www.PUCO.ohio.gov or contact us at (800) 686-PUCO (7826).
Sincerely,
Alan R. Schriber
Chairman
My response:
Dear Mr. Schriber:
The more I think about this and the more folks I speak with, there are truly very few residential customers who either don’t have or have not tried these compact fluorescent bulbs. Even I, the staunch advocate against such bulbs based on home safety reasons should they break, have a few of the bulbs in my home too. I was against mass distribution of these bulbs after witnessing a mass handout of these bulbs at a Earth Day event at the zoo. The level of ignorance regarding the handling and disposal of these bulbs was astounding.
I was against these bulbs long before Glenn Beck’s little skit on the clean-up of the bulb. I have had to clean-up these types of broken bulbs on a professional basis and know exactly what it takes. Glenn’s skit and the EPA guidelines are missing a few key precautions.
If you have these bulbs in your home and you have children, please order a small mercury clean-up kit. There is a key product in these kits that knocks the mercury vapor out of the environment immediately and will make it much safer for you to perform the EPA level clean-up. This is the kit I recommend, http://www.labsafety.com/search/mercury/4362/23945/?isredirect=true , and you will need to order it from a safety supply company. Check around for pricing in your local area.
I also have 4 sets of the 4ft. double ballast type bulbs with the old ballasts that contain mercury too. Locations these CFL bulbs don’t fall under include all 4 ceilings fans, bathroom lights, and my new dining room light. These lights are considered decorative under the new law and yes, I chose that new light with that exception in mind. I am slowly changing my current lights out from incandescents/CFL to the new expensive, safer for the consumer and environment, and truly more energy efficient LEDs. http://www.superbrightleds.com/edison_globe.html
This is another one of those “unintended consequences” that environmental activists have dangerously set in motion. In their enthusiasm, they failed to let technology and the market catch-up. They failed to educate the consumer regarding handling of the bulbs. And they fail to consider average human nature regarding proper disposal and clean-up.
Necessity is the mother of invention. We need more efficient use of energy, we need to keep hazardous chemicals out of our environment(home, business, and landfills), and the CFL is not, IS NOT, the best choice to accomplish the goal. It is a dangerous cheap sham.
This program needs to be stopped immediately and should not move forward in any manner. Average consumers are placing their trust in PUCO and FirstEnergy to do the right thing. Forcing, what is a dangerous product, onto their customers is an irresponsible action. This leaves them open to lawsuits should those bulbs break in a residence and a customer fails to perform proper clean-up and their kid gets sick.
Respectfully,
LMAO
At the plant I worked at before retiring, you would never know what would show up for disposal during the "graveyard shift"
:)
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