01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 7, 2005

By Chelsea Phua
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Nanci Fiore-Chettiar, 11, reread the legislative bill twice before bedtime on Tuesday. She highlighted big words such as "intermediaries," "notwithstanding," "municipality," "state procurement" and asked her mother to explain them to her later. She wanted to be sure that when she stood in front of state legislators the following day, she did not fumble.

There was only one slip -- she greeted the representatives and audience in the crowded room with "good morning." It was about 3:15 p.m. But Nanci, her long dark hair tied up in a ponytail and her dark brown eyes sparkling, did not seem nervous. She introduced her team -- the Westerly Innovations Network -- that went to the State House yesterday to testify in support of an electronic waste recycling bill.

Looking sharp in their red polo shirts and khaki pants, the WIN team members, a group of Babcock Middle School students ranging in age from 11 to 14, presented a slide show on their electronic recycling project to legislators. The children's team supports a bill introduced by Rep. Arthur Handy (D-Cranston), which would require manufacturers to take financial responsibility for recycling and disposing of their electronic products.

"It's hard to vote against children," said Rep. Peter Ginaitt with a chuckle after the presentation. Ginaitt chairs the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, which Handy sits on.

While the adults handed out files and papers supporting their testimony, the children used motion pictures, music, news clips and bullet points to generate support.

The slide show began with an upbeat Vivaldi number while showing today's technology -- cell phones, computers, iPods, digital cameras. Then the music took a turn to something darker as the electronic gadgets became obsolete and were thrown in the trash, piling up in landfills and polluting the environment.

The children have passion, Ginaitt said. "They may not know the global dynamics," he said. "But they understand that if we don't do something now, we are going to have difficulty controlling an environmental disaster. Sometimes we do not listen to the younger ones enough."

While the children may not be aware of the finer nuances of the bill, they are certain of one thing: it would prevent harmful materials contained in the electronic goods from polluting the environment. Electronic waste contains lead, mercury, chromium, polyvinyl chloride and other hazardous substances. If they are not properly disposed of, reused or recycled, the pollutants can leak into groundwater and have a detrimental effect on human health.

The children said Handy's bill, also introduced in the Senate by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, would push manufacturers to design more environmentally friendly and durable products and defray the cost of collection and recycling.

Currently, only California, Maine and Massachusetts have laws regulating the proper disposal of e-waste. In Rhode Island, the Resource Recovery Corporation, which runs the State Central Landfill in Johnston, has an electronic waste recycling program.

According to John Trevor, the recycling program manager, since the project started in 2001, it has collected 775,000 pounds of e-waste. Residents can deposit their computers, cell phones, and television sets for recycling on one Saturday a month at the landfill. The program also conducts a monthly satellite collection, rotating among different cities and towns.

David A. Thompson, a director at Panasonic who represents the Electronic Manufacturers Coalition for Responsible Recycling, said there are some logistical difficulties with the bill, given the number of electronic brands. He proposed an advanced recycling fee of, at most, $10 that would be imposed at the point of sale to encourage consumers to recycle the product.

Terence D. Gray, acting director for the state Department of Environmental Management, said the state is considering including electronic products on its list of items that have to be disposed of properly.. The bill would prohibit the manufacturer from selling in the state if it does not comply with the regulations.

While some adults worry that there would be a commercial loss for Rhode Island, Victoria Trogani, 12, said, "If the manufacturers are not willing to deal with waste properly, they should not be selling in Rhode Island."