(1) Collectors participating in a product stewardship program including, but not limited to, collection sites, curbside services, mail-back services, accumulation points, and collection events, must register with the stewardship organization. Collector registration information must include:

(a) The legal name of the person owning and operating the collection location;

(b) The address of the collection location;

(c) The phone number of the collection location;

(d) The name, address, and phone number of the individual responsible for operating the collection location; and

(e) Updates of any changes in this information within thirty days of the change.

(2) Mercury-containing lights collected for a plan must be collected free of charge except for premium services.

(3) Mercury-containing lights premium services provide collection and transport of mercury-containing lights from point of collection to product stewardship program accumulation points. For premium services participating in the product stewardship program, the stewardship organization must pay the cost of transporting mercury-containing lights from accumulation points to the processing facility and the cost of processing the mercury-containing lights. Premium services include, but are not limited to:

(a) Curbside collection of mercury-containing lights, which may include additional fees to cover the costs not paid by the product stewardship program.

(b) Mail-back collection of mercury-containing lights, which may include additional fees to cover the costs not paid by the product stewardship program.

(4) Collectors participating in a product stewardship program may include collection events that:

(a) Service rural communities that do not have a continually staffed collection site;

(b) Are registered with the stewardship organization; and

(c) Meet the requirements of this section.

(5) Collectors of mercury-containing lights will not process the collected lights unless they also meet the processing facility requirements in WAC 173-910-540.

(6) Collectors must comply with WAC 173-303-573 as small quantity handlers of universal waste as well as all other applicable laws, rules, and local ordinances.

(7) When providing collection services for a plan, each collector, including collection sites, curbside collection, mail-back service, accumulation points, and collection events must:

(a) Staff the site during operating hours;

(b) Notify the stewardship organization of changes in hours and days of operation;

(c) Handle mercury-containing lights in a way that prevents releases of mercury to the environment;

(d) Have a spill and release response plan that describes the materials, equipment, and procedures that will be used to respond to any mercury release from a mercury-containing light;

(e) Have a worker safety plan that describes the handling of the mercury-containing lights at the collection location and the measures that will be taken to protect worker health and safety;

(f) Use packaging and shipping material that will minimize the release of mercury into the environment by volatilization or any other means and minimize breakage and use mercury vapor barrier packaging as defined in RCW 70.275.020(10) if mercury lights are transported by the United States Postal Service or a common carrier; and

(g) Submit all mercury-containing lights collected from covered entities to a department-approved product stewardship program.

(8) A collector must allow the department access for inspections to determine compliance with the requirements in this chapter.

(9) No entity may claim to be collecting mercury-containing lights for a plan unless the entity is registered with the stewardship organization as a collector and submits all collected mercury-containing lights to the transporters and processors identified in the plan.

(10) Any collector found to be out of compliance with this section or the requirements of the plan will not be allowed to participate in the program.