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EPA's Dental Amalgam Rule and Compliance

Saturday, Jun 1, 2019

EPA'S DENTAL AMALGAM RULE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is implementing technology-based Pretreatment Standards under the Clean Water Act to reduce discharges of mercury from dental offices into municipal sewage treatment plants known as Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). 

The new Dental Office Point Source Category requires dental offices to utilize amalgam separators and implement two Best Management Practices (BMPs) as recommended by the American Dental Association. The regulation, which became effective on July 14, 2017, requires dental offices that place or remove amalgam to operate and maintain amalgam separator(s) and must not discharge scrap amalgam or use certain kinds of line cleaners. 

 

·Existing dental offices (existing sources, whose first discharge to a POTW occurred on or before July 14, 2017) must comply by July 14, 2020.
·New dental offices (new sources, whose first discharge to a POTW occur after July 14, 2017) are required to comply within 90 days of the first discharge to the sewer. 

 

Who is affected? 

The rule applies to wastewater discharges to POTWs from offices where the practice of dentistry is performed, including large institutions such as dental schools and clinics; permanent or temporary offices; home offices; and dental offices owned and operated by federal, state, or local governments including military bases.

 

Are there exemptions? 

Yes, the rule does not apply to Dental Dischargers that exclusively practice one or more of the following dental specialties: Oral Pathology; Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Orthodontics; Periodontics; or Prosthodontics, and the rule does not apply to Dental Mobile Units.

 

Dental Dischargers that do not place dental amalgam, and do not remove dental amalgam except in limited emergency or unplanned, unanticipated circumstances are exempt from any further requirements of the rule as long as they certify such in the Compliance Report of the County District Sanitation – wherever the dental practice is located: LA or OC.

 

EPA'S DENTAL AMALGAM RESOURCE & COMPLIANCE FORMS:

 

ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT

For more information on OCSD’s Dental Amalgam Program, please contact:

Merrill Seiler, Principal Environmental Specialist
714-593-7436

Email: DentalOffice@ocsd.com

https://www.ocsd.com/businesses/dental-office-point-source

 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT

Sue Zhu

Industrial Waste Section

LACSD

562-908-4288 x 2956

https://www.lacsd.org/wastewater/industrial_waste/dental_offices.asp

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