1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Mercury Vapor Study Act of 2020”.
Mercury Vapor Study Act of 2020
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on mercury vapor released from synthetic flooring made using phenylmercuric acetate, and for other purposes.
2. Findings
Congress finds that—
PMA flooring, a type of rubberized polyurethane flooring, was widely installed in schools, hospitals, retirement homes, community centers, and other public spaces starting in the 1960s;
PMA flooring may release mercury vapor into the air as the flooring deteriorates;
mercury is a persistent bioaccumulative neurotoxin with great potential for harm, particularly for children and other vulnerable populations;
there have been no studies examining the effects on children and other vulnerable populations from mercury vapor emitted from PMA flooring;
several States have issued guidance on maximum acceptable levels of mercury vapor from PMA flooring, but the guidance levels vary from State to State and there is currently no national standard;
school districts and other public spaces across the United States are unaware of the risk of mercury vapor exposure from PMA flooring; and
as of November 2020, it is not known—
how many schools and public spaces have PMA flooring installed;
which schools and public spaces may have PMA flooring installed; and
whether PMA flooring is still being installed in school districts and public spaces across the United States.
3. Definitions
4. Study on the effects of mercury vapor from PMA flooring on human health
Study— The Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall conduct a study—
on the potential exposure to mercury vapor from PMA flooring, including by collecting existing data and obtaining new data on mercury vapor concentrations in facilities with PMA flooring;
on the prevalence of PMA flooring in schools; and
to establish appropriate industrial hygiene monitoring steps to prevent or interdict mercury vapor exposure.
Report— Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress and make publicly available on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency a report that includes—
a description of the results of the study conducted under subsection (a);
a calculation of the minimal risk level for exposure to mercury vapor from PMA flooring;
a registry of schools with PMA flooring;
guidance on best practices to properly address and mitigate the risk of mercury vapor exposure from PMA flooring;
a plan to communicate the potential hazards of PMA flooring to school districts and the general public; and
a recommendation as to whether to ban, phase out, or otherwise restrict the future installation of PMA flooring.