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Ontario dentists, already in compliance with the College's dental amalgam waste regulation, should be in compliance with the new federal requirements for the owners and/or operators of certain dental clinics to prepare and implement pollution prevention plans to deal with dental amalgam wastes.
According to the federal government notice, dentists need to be in compliance with the federal best management practices that include:
- installing an ISO certified or equivalent amalgam separator;
- contacting a waste carrier for recycling or disposal of amalgam waste;
- staying abreast of advances in restorative materials;
- avoiding the disposal of amalgam waste in the trash, down the drain, in the sharps container or with bio-medical wastes.
These dentists will not have to file a pollution prevention plan with the federal government nor will they have to submit the mandatory declarations. You can fill out a Notification of Non-Engagement form and will not receive future reminder letters or additional requests from Environment Canada.
Nor do the federal government requirements apply to dentists operating a dental facility where the following specialities are exclusively practised:
- oral and maxillofacial radiology
- oral and maxillofacial surgery
- oral medicine and pathology
- orthodontics and dentofacial othopedics
- periodontics.
The federal government plan came into effect on May 8, 2010.
Over seven years ago, this College led the country with the implementation of a regulation and accompanying standard of practice for amalgam waste disposal. The College's proactive initiative meant a common standard in each of the over 430 municipalities in the province. This approach was based on the trust in dentists to act in a responsible way to adopt best management practices. And Ontario dentists proved that approach to be the right one. The regulation came into effect on November 15, 2003, and within the first year over 98 per cent of the province's dentists were in compliance.
The College website at www.rcdso.org has an information flow sheet called Best Management for the Disposal of Dental Amalgam and Mercury Waste in Ontario. Look under Professional Practice/Practice Resources/Dental Waste Management.
In fact, there are four helpful flow charts posted online. They cover:
- dental amalgam and dental wastes
- lead containing and other chemical wastes
- silver containing wastes
- biomedical/pathological wastes.
Environment Canada has also developed best management practices for dental amalgam waste in Canada.
There is a short two page form available on the Environment Canada website that can be quickly filled in and signed and sent by surface mail, fax or e-mail to formally indicate that you are not covered by the federal government notice. By filling out this Notice of Non-Engagement you will not receive any future reminder letters or additional requests for information about this issue.
You can find the background information on this federal initiative, a complete list of the best management practices, and the official form of Notification of Non-Engagement on the Environment Canada website at www.ec.gc.ca/mercure-mercury.
COLLEGE CONTACT
Dr. Michael Gardner
Manager, Quality Assurance
416-934-5611
1-800-565-4591
mgardner@rcdso.org