(a) Within ninety (90) days after August 12, 2005, every manufacturer of vehicles sold within this state, individually or as part of a group, shall develop in consultation with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality a mercury minimization plan prepared pursuant to this section and shall submit the mercury minimization plan to the Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality for review and approval pursuant to § 8-9-605.

(b) The mercury minimization plan prepared and submitted pursuant to this section shall include the following at a minimum:

(1)

(A) Information identifying the make, model, and year of vehicles, including current or anticipated future production models that may contain one (1) or more mercury switches, a description of the mercury switches, a system to mark vehicles to be processed for shredding or crushing to indicate the presence or absence of mercury switches, the location of these mercury switches, and the safe and environmentally sound methods for removal of mercury switches from end-of-life vehicles.

(B) To the extent a manufacturer is uncertain as to the content of a switch installed during the manufacture of a vehicle, the mercury minimization plan shall presume that the switch is a mercury switch;

(2) Educational materials to assist a vehicle recycler or a scrap recycling facility in undertaking a safe and environmentally sound method for the removal of the mercury switches from end-of-life vehicles, including information on the hazards related to mercury and the proper handling of mercury;

(3) A proposal for the method of storage or disposal of the mercury switches, including the method of packaging and shipping mercury switches to authorized recycling, storage, or disposal facilities;

(4) A proposal for the storage of mercury switches collected and recovered from end-of-life vehicles if environmentally appropriate management technologies are not available; and

(5) A plan for implementing and financing the system in accordance with subsection (d) of this section.

(c) To the extent practicable, a mercury minimization plan shall use the existing end-of-life vehicle recycling infrastructure. If the existing end-of-life vehicle recycling infrastructure is not used, the mercury minimization plan shall include the reasons for establishing a separate infrastructure.

(d)

(1) A mercury minimization plan shall provide for the financing of the removal, collection, and recovery system for mercury switches installed in vehicles manufactured by the manufacturer and its predecessors and affiliates as provided in this subsection.

(2) These costs shall be borne by the manufacturers of vehicles sold in the state, ensuring that additional financial burdens are not placed on automobile dealers or businesses dealing with end-of-life vehicles. The manufacturers shall develop a method that ensures the prompt payment to vehicle recyclers, scrap recycling facilities, and the department for costs associated with mercury switch removal and disposal. Costs shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) A minimum of five dollars ($5.00) for each mercury switch removed by a vehicle recycler pursuant to § 8-9-606(a) as partial compensation for the labor and other costs incurred by a vehicle recycler in the removal of the mercury switch;

(B) A minimum of five dollars ($5.00) for each mercury switch removed by a scrap recycling facility pursuant to § 8-9-606(b) as partial compensation for the labor and other costs incurred by a scrap recycling facility in the removal of the mercury switch;

(C) One dollar ($1.00) for each mercury switch removed by a vehicle recycler pursuant to § 8-9-606(a) or by a scrap recycling facility pursuant to § 8-9-606(b) as partial compensation to the department for costs incurred in administering and enforcing the provisions of this subchapter;

(D) Packaging in which to transport mercury switches to recycling, storage, or disposal facilities;

(E) Shipping of mercury switches to recycling, storage, or disposal facilities;

(F) Recycling, storage, or disposal of the mercury switches;

(G) The preparation and distribution to vehicle recyclers and scrap recycling facilities of the educational materials required pursuant to subdivision (b)(2) of this section; and

(H) Maintenance of all appropriate record-keeping systems.

(e) Within thirty (30) days after August 12, 2005, every manufacturer of vehicles sold within the state, individually or as part of a group, shall provide to vehicle recyclers and scrap recycling facilities containers suitable for storing mercury switches until such time that vehicle recyclers and scrap recycling facilities can be reimbursed pursuant to this section.

(f) Manufacturers of vehicles sold within the state shall provide vehicle recyclers or scrap recycling facilities with reimbursement for each mercury switch in the amount established pursuant to this section regardless of when these switches were removed from the vehicles if the vehicle recyclers or scrap recycling facilities maintain the records required by § 8-9-606.

(g) Manufacturers shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless vehicle recyclers and scrap recycling facilities for any liabilities arising from the release of the mercury from the mercury-added components after the components are transferred to the manufacturer or its agent or contractor.