What are the concerns about these panels? Right now, I have 3 scrap yards near me. 2 of them will not have anything to do with TVs at all. The 3rd will take the panels but charge me .25 cents a pound. This may be my only option, but I was wandering if there as another option.

I stopped taking CRTs as that is just too much($$$) to deal with.

As municipalities and businesses catch up to the rules and regulations, which are constantly changing, you'll notice there are way fewer outlets for e-waste disposal, and specifically with regard to TV's. A few years ago you might have found a free outlet, good luck now.
The hazard: CRT glass is leaded, and some (not all) flat screen CFFC's contain Mercury, so stuff that nobody wants in a landfill.
The Bureaucracy: Some places let you throw stuff in a hole and be done, other places regulate where things go, and that costs significant money.
The Rub: Unless you own an e-waste recycling business (we actually get paid for them, but we also send out 50,000 pounds a year and increasing) you are going to pay someone somewhere to move them on to their final destination. That said, there are still some municipalities that budget this sort of thing and may take them for nothing (depends on where you are, start making calls) but most places do not.
There is also Staples. The don't specifically take "TV's" by definition of their terms, but they might let a bare screen slip through. They also take flat screen computer monitors.
A bunch of places that charge (Best Buy, etc.) will usually charge a flat rate per piece, and it's expensive, so if your yard charges a quarter per pound, that frankly isn't too bad.

Thank you, Thearchivebooks.

Yea I know it isn't too bad. I still usually come out on top with TVs. Especially since I started Pulling IC chips and Gold Tip BGAs for Board Sorts. I guess I am just being a cheap skate and trying to get it cheaper. :)

Thank you for the response I really appreciate it.

Over time, regardless of what state you're in, the only entities that will take them at all are entities that are registered "electronic recycling facilities".
States that have laws regarding the disposal of e-waste have to adhere to whatever it says in the wording, and here in NY, they want "electronic recycling facilities" to seek reimbursement from OEM's directly.
What they should have done from the beginning is pool the funds into a general account and divvy the money up based on weight moved, but instead be have to attack Sony/Panasonic/etc directly.
Sometimes you see scrap yards and transfer stations handle e-waste and tv's. They most definitely have a deal in place with an "electronic recycling facility" that will probably take them for nothing, and that .25/lb fee is for pain and suffering.
I've had issues about how things were laid out in my state from the get-go, I'm not sure who these bureaucrats are that are calling the shots, but they don't live in the real world, apparently.
What this means for guys on the street: basically short of yanking the yokes,cables, boards (where the money is, short of actual testing and resale) I would just leave the tv's where they are and yank the good stuff. Once you take that CRT or Plasma home, you accept the responsibility of having to pay to ditch the carcass, and then it's a crapshoot as to whether or not you will lose money/make money.