Walk through a store or schools, and there's a chance the overhead lighting will come from long fluorescent tubes. Minnesota is taking steps to phase out those bulbs that experts say are harmful to the environment and human health.
In the spring legislative session, Minnesota became the latest state to ban the sale of fluorescent bulbs starting in 2025. The end date for more specialized bulbs is January 2026. Supporters of the ban say people already have a lot of safer LED options at their fingertips.
Eric Fowler, senior policy associate of buildings with Fresh Energy, said remaining fluorescent products still on the market pose hidden dangers.
"We're going to keep the market moving in the direction it's already going and transition away from these lights that, at this point, are unnecessarily hazardous, fragile glass tubes with toxic mercury," he explained.
Legislative researchers say despite recycling requirements for fluorescent products, they still end up accidentally broken or thrown away. That exposes custodial staff, waste workers and others to mercury, a well-known toxin that's especially harmful to pregnant people and children. Backers say the law change, passed with bipartisan support, also paves the way for more energy efficiency.
Josh McClenney, state policy associate for the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, has been tracking the passage of these laws around the country. He said while the LED bulb might be a more expensive purchase, businesses will find them to be valuable over time through energy bill savings.
"For the most common type of LED replacement, it's just about 11 cents more expensive and it pays itself back in less than a month," said McClenney.
Fresh Energy said switching from fluorescent to LED bulbs could save Minnesota close to 800 gigawatts of electricity in a year, avoiding 650,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
People who buy fluorescent bulbs before the state's end date will still be able to use them until they burn out.
-
Plus: First year of free tuition program in Minnesota exceeds enrollment expectations; and a large apartment complex is in the works in housing-starved Brainerd. -
Plus: Bemidji area residents comment in the second and final hearing in the administrative trial for the boundary dispute between Bemidji and Northern Township.
-
Contributed/Bemidji Public LibraryThe KAXE news team has been covering cuts to libraries in our region. This week, we have been gathering stories about what libraries mean to you. -
Chelsey Perkins/KAXEWithout the funding, residents’ water bills could increase from about $40 a month to nearly $70. The projected costs for the new facility have risen substantially. -
Lorie Shaull/Special to KAXEThe lawsuit states Robert Slaybaugh was placed in a cell with a sheet and a bunk previously ID'd as a suicide hazard, despite an “overwhelming combination of risk factors.” -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe second and final public comment evening for the boundary dispute trial heard a broad mix of comments from affected residents along Lake Bemidji. -
Contributed/Lorie ShaullDuring the Phenology Report for the week of Oct. 7, Staff Phenologist John Latimer covers the next month in nature, development of fall colors, and migratory dragonflies. -
Events this week include a story slam in Bemidji, an Indigenous People's Day event in Brainerd and a fundraiser for a dog park in Deer River. -
Contributed/Minnesota Incident Command SystemThe fire has been mapped at 160 acres. A predicted change in weather calls for increased and shifting winds, creating a potential to push the fire toward the trail. -
Plus: The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced it secured two settlements against northern Minnesota employers for sex discrimination; and the US Small Business Administration is operating a disaster loan outreach center through Oct. 18 in Bemidji for those impacted by the June 21 severe storms.
