You are here: EPA Home Mercury Safe Mercury Management Medical/Dental Waste Programs 

# State Mercury Medical/Dental Waste Programs

Medical facilities, because of the large variety of uses for mercury-containing equipment/items, have an increased responsibility for proper disposal and treatment of their mercury waste. One goal of medical mercury management programs is to replace mercury-containing devices with mercury-free alternatives. Curre ntly, various states have proposed or enacted legislation or established voluntary programs focusing on mercury in medical facilities. There also are national and state organizations that promote mercury management and reduction strate gies such as identifying and purchasing alternative products and materials with less or no mercury, recycling mercury and mercury-containing products and devices, and training. Many states also are undertak ing both regulatory and nonregulatory activities to ensure proper manage ment of mercury-containing dental amalgam. For instance, various states have proposed or enacted legislation as well as set up voluntary programs that address the use and management of dental amalgam. In addition, some federal and national organizations have developed outreach materials to provide information exchange, training, and general education fo r the public and dental professionals. The links below will take you out of the EPA.gov domain and to external links. Safe Mercury Management Information SMM Home Basic Information Medical/Dental Wastes Car Switches Collection/Recycling Schools Mercury-Containing Products Videos Where You Live Laws and Regulations Frequent Questions Related Links

About PDF Files

Summary Table of State Mercury Medical/Dental Waste Programs

State Name Laws and Regulations Regarding Mercury Amal g am Use Guidance on Mercury Waste in

Hospitals and

Healthcare

Facilities Guidance on Mercury Waste in Dental Practices

Alabama

Arizona

California 

## Mercury Last u p dated on Monda y, Se p tember 24th , 2007. htt p : // www.e p a. g ov / e p aoswer / hazwaste / mercur y/ medical.htm 

### Pa g e 1 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htmColorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana New Hampshire

New York

Ohio

Oregon

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin 

### Pa g e 2 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htmAlabama HB 495: Mercury Amalgam Filling: Search under Bills for Status in 2004 Regular Session

HB 665 (LS: 04): Would require dentists to prov ide information about mercury or mercury amalgam to patients: Search under Bills for Status in 2004

Arizona

HB 2467: Mercury Amalgam Fillings

California

Guide to Mercury Assessment and Elimination in Healthcare Facilities (PDF) (79 pp., 458 KB)

California Pollution Prevention for Dental Offices

AB 966 (LS: 05): Would establish standards re lated to amalgam in dental and related services

AB 999 (LS: 03): Sets insurance requirements for alternatives to mercury amalgam fillings

Colorado

HB 97

- 1187: Prohibits use of mercury amalgam

Connecticut Best Management Practice for Dental Offices Waste Handling in Connecticut

HB 5713 (LS: 05): Would require dental benefits to cover non

- mercury fillings

District of Columbia Guide for Proper Management of Amalgam Waste in the Dental Office

Florida

Best Management Practices for Mercury in Me dical Facilities and Mercury in Dental Offices

Best Management Practices for Scrap Dental Amalgam Georgia

HB 442 (LS: 03): Would prohibit the use of mercury amalgam fillings in a certain populous.

Illinois SB 455 (LS: 93rd GA): Prohibits use of mercury amalgam under certain circumstances Go to SB 455

Indiana 

### Pa g e 3 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htmCompliance and Technical Assistance Program: Hospital Advisory Group Kentucky SB 141 (LS: 04): Relating to mercury contained in immunizations and dental restorations

Maine Mercury Management in the Health Care Environment

Medical Pollution Prevention Agreement Program

Release of Mercury from Consumer Products: Medical Legislation

Health Effects of Mercury Fillings Legislation/Medical Legislation (PDF) (1 pg., 6 KB) Mercury in Dental Fillings Brochure

LD 697: Requires the installation of dental amalgam separator systems in dental office

LD 1409: Requires dentists to inform pati ents of the health effects of mercury fillings

LD 1327 (LS: 122nd): Would prohibit the use of mercury fillings

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protecti on's Dental Amalgam Mercury Recycling Program

PPIS Hospital Project Description

Dental Elemental Mercury Collection Program Michigan

SB 0094: Elimination of use of mercury in hospitals

Minnesota

Great Lakes Dental Mercury Reduction Program Mercury Amalgam Recovery Program

HF 0661 & SF 0641 (LS: 05): Would require the removal of mercury amalgam restorations prior to cremation of human corp ses and installation of amalgam separators in dental offices

Montana

HB 665 (LS: 05): Comprehensive mercury bill, wh ich would require amalgam separators in dental offices New Hampshire 

### Pa g e 4 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htmHB 1251: Mercury Fillings: Medical Legislation

New York Reducing Mercury Use in Health Care Mercury Pollution Prevention Education Project Mercury and Dental Amalgam Recyclers

New York Requirements for Recycling Dental Amalgam Chapter 506: Recycling Dental Amalgam

Ohio Mercury Challenge Medical Program Mercury Challenge Handbook Medical Programs (PDF) (33 pp., 101 KB) Oregon

SB 681: Prohibits use of dental materi als containing mercury after July 1, 2007

SB 695: Directs Department of Human Services to conduct a study of mercury amalgam fillings in human teeth and environm ental sources of mercury ingestion

Vermont Mercury Education and Reduction Campaign Virginia

Dental Mercury Collection Program Description

SB 187 (LS: 05): Would require the Board of Dent istry to promulgate regulations for the appropriate and safe use of dental amalgams containing mercury Washington Amalgam Waste Amalgam Separators Amalgam Separators approved by King County Mercury Dental Amalgam Program (PDF) (19 pp., 327 KB) A Guide for Dental Programs (PDF) (8 pp., 76 KB)

HB 1273 & SB 5066 (LS: 03): Would require informed consent prior to using mercury amalgam dental restorative material 

### Pa g e 5 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htmWisconsin

Medical Mercury Reduction

Dental Mercury Reduction

Additional Medical Resources

The American Medical Association (AMA) Mercury and Fish Consumption: Medical and Public Health Issues report summarizes the key findin gs of the April 2004 Conference on Mercury: Medical and Public Health Issues, co-s ponsored by EPA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) provides health-care fa cilities with valuable information about mercury and how to eliminate its use.

Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, community gr oups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions, environmental an d environmental health organizations and religious groups. One of their goals is to phase out the use of mercury in all aspects of the health care industry.

Massachusetts Water Resources Author ity (MWRA)/Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization, Inc. (MASCO) - Mercury Work Group To address complex mercury issues, the MW RA established a Mercury Work Group to examine the issues and to develop strategies to reduce the amount of mercury being discharged into its sewer system. Hospital pa rticipation in this process was coordinated through MASCO (a not-for-profit provider of se rvices and technical assistance to Longwood Medical and Academic Area institutions), and invo lved the active participation of 28 hospitals. University of Massachusetts - Sustainable Hospital Project Web Site provides technical support to the health care industry by listing and describing current products and work practices that reduce occupational an d environmental hazards in the health care environment.

Additional Dental Resources

The American Dental Association (ADA) is the professional association of dentists committed to the public’s oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement. In September 2005, ADA released Best Management Practices for Amalgam Waste , which establishes ADA guidelines for recycling amalgam.

The Naval Institute For Dental and Biomedical Research is the lead agency in a Navywide program developing and evaluating existi ng and emerging technologies for removal of mercury from dental unit wastewater streams. Amalgam Separation Technologies Links to p ublications on removal technolo g ies of mercur y from dental

- unit wastewater 

### Pa g e 6 of 6 State Mercur y Medical/Dental Waste Pro g rams | Safe Mercur y Mana g ement | Wastes | EPA

10/5/2007 htt p ://www.e p a. g ov/e p aoswer/hazwaste/mercur y /medical.htm