EPA's Amalgam Rule to Take Effect on July 14, 2020

https://www.ada.org
By: David Burger

Under a federal rule adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2017, many dental practices will need an installed amalgam separator by July 14, 2020. A few practices may be exempt, but some of those that are still need to submit a form to affirm their exemption from the rule.

“Although most dental offices currently use some type of basic filtration system to reduce the amount of mercury solids passing into the sewer system, dental offices are the single largest source of mercury at sewage treatment plants,” the EPA notes on its website.

The EPA deadline provides a minimum standard to be met by dental offices on a national level. State and local regulations may have more stringent requirements with earlier deadlines or fewer exempt categories. State or local regulations cannot directly conflict with federal regulations, but they can be more restrictive.

The ADA Center for Professional Success has resources available for member dentists looking for more information on the looming amalgam rule. The ADA.org/RecycleAmalgam web resource includes:

• A flowchart to help dentists determine what course of action to take.
• In-depth FAQs from the ADA and the EPA on how to comply with the rule.
• An on-demand webinar in which ADA and EPA representatives provide information and answer questions from participating professionals. 

*This content was generated by https://www.ada.org . To read the original article or for more information go to https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2019-archive/october/amalgam-separator-deadline-approaching-quickly