They wanted to see HB138 become law and put a $5 "bounty" on bullet-sized pellets of mercury found in the junked cars that are fed into the Nucor Steel mill, where Wesley Udy works as an electrician.

After weeks of suspense for the Udys, lawmakers passed the bill. And Wednesday, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed it.

It is important to get the pellets out of the wrecks because when they are incinerated, they poison the air, land and water with toxic mercury. In the environment, mercury transforms to methylmercury. It builds up and can become a neurotoxin that is especially harmful to unborn and young children.

Mona Udy would not describe herself as an environmental activist. However, the mother of five, ages 3 to 12, wants a healthy environment for her family.

"The world I live in," she said, "I want it to be safe for me and my kids."

Utah lawmakers wouldn't describe themselves as environmentalists, either, and HB138 nearly got derailed.

The auto industry, while supporting the concept, wanted a lower bounty, $1 or $3, perhaps.

With 18 states already requiring switch removal or contemplating it, automakers announced their nationwide agreement last week with metal recyclers and environmentalists to spend $4 million over the next three years on mercury removal.

Millions of cars made before 2003 contain switches smaller than a cell phone that use the mercury pellets to control anti-lock brakes and convenience lights under hoods and in trunks.

Estimates suggest there are 35 million of them still in vehicles on the road.

Nucor recycles more than 250,000 vehicles each year that might contain the switches. Nucor reports releasing about 139 pounds of toxic mercury into the air each year.

Coal-fired power plants, the largest non-natural source of mercury emissions, release about 49 tons of mercury each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, mercury switches account for about 11 tons of mercury waste.

Nucor said added anti-pollution equipment to remove the mercury might cost millions of dollars.

Charles Territo, spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, indicated the new national agreement makes laws like Utah's unnecessary and that nationwide switch removal could be in place next month.

The association's Utah lobbyists urged Huntsman last week not to act on HB138.

"We believe the most effective way to collect switches is to have an effective national program in place," Territo said.

Bill sponsor Rep. Ronda Menlove, a Garland Republican and Sunday school teacher for some of the young Udys, said it was important for the state to get a program in place now.

She noted that neither she nor state regulators had been briefed on the association's nationwide program.

Her coalition included Nucor, which is in her district; the Utah Department of Environmental Quality; the Great Salt Lakekeeper; the Utah Rivers Council; and the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah.

The coalition proved critical to preserving the $5-a-switch bounty, which was considered essential to the program, based on the experience of other states. Senators considered cutting the recovery fee to $1 or $3.

Of all 104 legislators, only Republican Sen. Dan Eastman, an auto dealer who represents Bountiful, voted against the bill.

Under Utah's law, automakers would pay the bounty, along with switch collection and disposal.

"We'll see what the national program looks like," Menlove said. "Then we'll go from there."

Udy was pleased when she heard about the governor's action.

"Woo-hoo," she said. "That will be one more step to make Nucor safer."

fahys@sltrib.com