Gov. Signs Bill Requiring Mercury-Free Flooring in Schools and Childcare Centers

Today, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed S1370/A1514 which requires new flooring for schools, community centers, and childcare centers to be certified mercury-free. In the 1960s a number of companies began manufacturing and installing a thin layer of synthetic, polyurethane flooring on top of concrete sub-floors, to provide a resilient and rubberized surface. Certain formulations of polyurethane incorporated a mercury catalyst, such as phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), to produce a solid seamless rubber-like floor. Mercury-containing polyurethane floors were widely installed in school gymnasiums across the United States. These floors may have been manufactured as late as 2005 and installed as late as 2006 (Washington Twp., NJ). Read more on Insider NJ here.