Evidence of meeting #35 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Virginia Poter  Director General, Industrial Sectors, Chemicals and Waste Directorate, Department of the Environment
Olivier Champagne  Procedural Clerk

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

The CFL light bulbs they are producing now are using less mercury. The technology is getting better. They are down to about 3.5 milligrams, whereas there was a time when it was 20 milligrams for some of those smaller CFL bulbs.

The fact is, these light bulbs are very efficient; they're cheap; and they reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Bossio and I have talked about this in the past. I don't envision a ban on these. You're right—LED lights are coming in. You buy an LED light right now, and it's $20. If you try to do a 450,000-square-foot warehouse in Burnside in LED, you can't afford it. It can't be done. Fluorescent lights are fine; they are safe if they are disposed of safely and properly at their end of life. If we think cradle to grave with new products that come forward, there is not a dangerous component to them.

I'll tell you, if I have a second—

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Just so you know, Mr. Fisher, I'm on a time constraint—

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Okay, fair enough.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

—so I might interrupt you.

How much time do I have?

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

You have two and a half minutes.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

You go ahead.

4:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

I have another great question. Do you know if there is currently any use for the by-product after proper disposal?

I imagine that, in the strategy, we'll probably see the light bulb being taken apart. Is there a value in the mercury, the glass, and so on, which could then be sold off or used in another way?

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

I have done several tours since that first tour of Dan-x in 2012. I got a chance to plunge my hand into all the granular glass. You don't even cut your hand when you put your hand in it. The glass, the phosphor, the metal, and the mercury are all 100% recyclable and reusable, and have end markets.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

So there is a use.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

There is absolutely no reason why a mercury-burning light bulb should ever be thrown into a landfill.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

My final question, Mr. Fisher—

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Do I have time?

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Yes.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Can you confirm whether this is true or false? As a child, did you ever, for the hell of it, break one of these light bulbs to watch it explode?

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

When I was a young man—18, 19, 20 years old—I worked in a warehouse that sold school supplies and over-the-counter drug sundries for drugstores. My job was to replace—on the huge, big ladder that we would raise up—the four-foot fluorescent bulbs. This has no bearing on what brought my bill forward, because this is something I reflected on during the writing of the bill.

My brother and I would get in the big metal garbage containers outside and—I'm not necessarily proud of this— literally lightsaber. We would make sound effects and everything. We would smash these bulbs in the big metal garbage containers.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

You need to bring legal counsel with you next time.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

The thing is, there was no knowledge of this. There was no knowledge of the dangers of the mercury in these four-foot fluorescent bulbs. I'm talking about something that happened 32 years ago, and that's the thing. Now that we are aware of it, we can find ways to solve this issue and not have these end up in our landfills.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

I just want to say that I know I've been—

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

You're out of time, by the way.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

jesting a little bit, but this is a very good initiative, and I am very proud that you've brought this forward, because it's going to significantly help out.

Thank you.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Thank you very much.

We've just ended the first round of questioning.

Darren, if you want to take your spot at the table again, we're going to have—

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Madam Chair, I would just like to add that the last comment certainly does explain a lot.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

I was going to say, how many of us have taken a fluorescent tube out—

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Exactly.

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

—and it has accidentally fallen over in the garage and exploded, and we just sweep it all up without any realization that we are spreading mercury around.

I think all of us have done that, so that explains a lot.

We now welcome Virginia Poter from the Department of the Environment.

You are the director general of the industrial sectors, chemicals and waste directorate. Welcome and thank you very much for coming today. The floor is yours.