FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2007

ISA Protects Members' Rights to Sell Neon

Alexandria, VA ­ In order to maintain a prosperous, fair and safe on-premise sign industry, the International Sign Association (ISA) has taken proactive steps on behalf of its members to protect the legality of the manufacture and sale of neon signs. In light of recent concerns mounting throughout the U.S. over mercury-added products, state regulations are threatening the production of neon tubing, an essential component in many illuminated signs. Mercury-added neon tubing contains small amounts of mercury that does not harm the environment if disposed of through proper methods. Certain states have begun to limit or prohibit the sale and manufacture of mercury-added products, including neon tubing.

While the term "neon" may conjure images of old-fashioned or obsolete signs, neon tubes still represent a core technology in sign manufacturing. Neon technology continues to evolve today, offering better energy efficiency while using less mercury. Acting on behalf of its members’ interests, ISA has submitted a detailed application, a Mercury-Added Product Notification, to the Interstate Mercury Education and Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC). IMERC has accepted ISA’s application, thereby allowing ISA to apply on behalf of its members for exemptions to relevant state regulations of mercury-added products.

IMERC considers ISA to be a "Designated Trade Group" for the purpose of these filings, a designation that saves ISA members the expense of having to navigate state mercury-added product regulations on their own. In order to apply on behalf of its members, ISA must receive from interested companies both a Mercury-Added Product Notification Form and an estimate of each company's total annual mercury usage, stated in terms of bottles/pounds. This form can be found on ISA’s Web site at www.signs.org. Only companies that submit the required authorization forms can participate in ISA's compliance effort, and any exemptions granted by a state would apply only to the ISA members that have agreed to participate. While the names of all participating companies will be accessible on IMERC's Web site, all applications are kept confidential and provided only to IMERC within the required guidelines.

“While any sign company is allowed to individually submit a notification form to IMERC or apply for a state exemption if its notification is approved, the requirements to accomplish this are quite daunting,” said Rich Gottwald, ISA’s education and technical initiatives vice president. “The state exemption applications are extremely complicated and sign companies may not have the time or expertise to navigate the bureaucratic process. That's where ISA can help.

“These regulations have the potential to negatively impact the economy. As they become more widespread, sign companies stand to lose business in certain states, product manufacturers suffer a loss and ultimately businesses suffer as a result of not having the ability to purchase effective signage,” said Gottwald. “New rules in Vermont prevent sign companies from legally selling neon signs that contain mercury. In Rhode Island and Connecticut, strict limits have been imposed on the allowable quantity of mercury per neon tube."

As this issue continues to develop, ISA will keep its members informed regarding the states in which it will seek exemption on their behalf. To read more about this topic, visit ISA’s Web site at www.signs.org. If you have questions on this topic, please contact Bill Dundas, ISA’s director of technical affairs, at bill.dundas@signs.org or (703) 778-8130.

The International Sign Association is a 2,600 member organization comprised of manufacturers, users and suppliers of on-premise signs and sign products from all 50 U.S. states and an additional 54 countries. ISA exists to support, promote and improve the sign industry, which sustains the nation’s retail industry.

International Sign Association (ISA)
707 North Saint Asaph St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-836-4012
E-Mail: laurie.kusek@signs.org
Website URL: www.signs.org