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New York HVAC CoNtrACtors Now required to reCYCle MerCurY tHerMostAts New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed into law a bill that requires any person or contractor who replaces a mercury-containing thermo- stat to deliver it to an appropriate collection site to be recycled. The bill also mandates that as of July 1, 2014, no HVAC wholesale distributor shall sell or distribute any thermostat unless the wholesaler partici- pates as a collection site to recycle mercury thermostats. The New York collection program is supported by 31 manufac- turers participating in Thermostat Recycling Corporation. The New York law requires all manufacturers of mercury thermostats sold in the state to either individually or collectively participate in a collec- tion program. TRC's program is the easiest and least-cost means of complying with New York law. To sign up as a collection site contact TRC toll-free at 1-888-266- 0550. Visit www.thermostat-recycle.org for more information about the program. The Thermostat Recycling Corporation, founded in 1998, is an industry-funded non-profit corporation supported by 31 manufac- turers who historically branded and sold mercury thermostats in the United States. TRC maintains a network of more than 3,600 collection sites nationwide and has recovered more than 1.4 million thermostats since its inception. TRC assumes all costs to transport and properly dispose of mercury switch thermostats recovered from service. NAte iNtroduCes CHANges to CertifiCAtioN ProgrAM North American Technician Excellence announced major changes to its certification program for heating, ventilation, air condition- ing and refrigeration technicians. The organization is adding new benefits, including an online Career Center for NATE-certified technicians, revising its certification period and certification main- tenance requirements, and will soon introduce new and updated certification exams. "We asked technicians nationwide for feedback on how NATE can remain relevant to them and to the HVACR industry. Based on their responses, we have updated the program to reflect changes in the industry and how times have changed in the personal and professional lives of today's technicians. We believe these changes will increase the value of NATE certification and support technicians throughout their careers in the HVACR industry," said John Lanier, NATE COO. The program changes and new offerings, to be rolled out through- out the year, outline the new NATE as: N is for Necessary • A new NATE Career Center (www.jobs.natex.org) to match NATE-certified technicians to employers in industry who value NATE certification • Serving as a sustaining member of the HVACR Workforce Development Foundation, recently formed to lead an industry effort to develop and promote educational projects, programs and partnerships to attract committed and skilled employees to a career in HVACR A is for Added-value • Administering the NATE Industry Competency Exam for entry- level technicians with one year or less of professional experience • Developing stronger ties with career and technical schools, dis- tributors, and contractors to help direct technicians to appropriate continuing education when needed • Plans to enhance websites features to serve as HVACR industry information resources with blogs, community discussions, news feeds and greater mobile capabilities T is for Timely Plans to update NATE exams and introducing new exams, including: • Revised NATE Core examination, combining previously individual Core Service and Core Installation exams into a single 75-question exam HVAC/HYDRONICS N e w s 30 feBruArY 2014 | fuel oil News | www.fueloilnews.com