TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-1- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- STATES 

Connecticut Legislation: 

2003. 

Although there is no specific 

mention of separators in the law, 

the state Department of 

Environmental Protection 

interprets the requirement that 

dentists follow “Best 

Management Practices” as 

requiring the installation of 

amalgam separators. 

1,7321 3,504,809 

Maine Legislation: 

2003. 

Expressly requires dentists to 

install separators. 

4782 1,321,574 

Massachusetts Regulations Separators installed after 2006 to 

achieve 98 percent removal 

efficiency. Separators 

voluntarily installed before the 

effective date of the regulations 

need to only achieve the ISO 

standard of 95 percent removal 

efficiency.

3,0503

 6,437,193 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-2- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- STATES

New Hampshire Legislation: 

2002 

Regulations: 

2005 

requires installation of separators 

(“environmentally appropriate 

disposal equipment for amalgam 

waste to trap and dispose of 

mercury” Implementing. 

5604

 1,314,895 

New Jersey Regulation: 

October 1, 

2007 

[N.J.A.C. 7:14A21.12(a)]. 

Separator required within two 

years 

ISO 11143 test protocol to 

perform at 98% or more 

efficiency, 

Draft regulations (July 2007): 

separators for offices that 

discharge waste into septic and 

private waste water systems. 

Exempts orthodontists, 

periodontists, endodontists, or 

oral and maxillofacial surgeons/ 

radiologists/pathologists. DEP 

comments: prosthodontists are 

not exempt. 

4,5465 8,724,560 

New York Regulations: 

Effective in 

2006. 

Requires installation of 

separators achieving a 99 percent 

removal efficiency; 

Separators voluntarily installed 

before the effective date of the 

requirement are expected to 

achieve the ISO standard of 95 

percent removal efficiency. 

9,0176

 19,306,183 

New Mexico Bill pending, 

not enacted as 

of Dec. 2007 

Requires separators 5937

 1,954,599 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-3- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- STATE 

Oregon Leg. 2007 (SB 

704) 

Requires adherence to the 

Oregon Dental Association’s 

BMP and amalgam separators 

(ISO standard of 95 percent 

removal efficiency). 

Dental offices constructed after 

January 1, 2008 separator 

installed when open; 

Existing offices: Either January 

1, 2008 or, if they receive 

certification from the local 

wastewater that they are in 

compliance with the BMPs by 

the end of 2007, they can delay 

installing a separator until 

January 1, 2011. 

All mercury-containing dental 

waste must be stored in a labeled 

vapor-proof container and may 

not be incinerated. 

1,8258 3,700,758 

Rhode Island Leg.: 2006. Department of Environmental 

Management (DEM) to develop 

“best management practices 

requiring an amalgam removal 

efficiency of at least 99 percent” 

[i.e., separators]. 

Another section of the same law 

requires installation of a 

separator that conforms to ISO 

standard 11143. 

4129

 1,067,610 

Vermont Leg.: 2005 Requires installation of 

separators with a removal 

efficiency of 95 percent. 

26310 623,908 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-4- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES

Duluth, MN 

Western Lake 

Superior region 

(Duluth, Cloquet, 

Hermantown, 

Proctor, Carlton, 

Scanlon, Thomson 

and Wrenshall, and 

the surrounding 

townships). 

 Sewer authority paid for and 

installed separators. To date, all 

of them have apparently done 

so

11. 

5712 84,167 

Fort Collins, and 

Boulder, CO 

Ordinance13 Requires separators effective July 

1, 2005.

Fort Collins: 

129,46714

Boulder: 

117,52015
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-5- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES

Madison 

Metropolitan 

Sewerage District, 

WI 

Fitchburg 

 Cottage Grove 

 Blooming Grove 

 

Madison 

 Dane 

 Blooming Grove – 

Waunona SD No. 2 

 

Middleton 

DeForest Blooming 

Grove #10 

Monona 

 Male Bluff 

 Town of Burke 

 

Verona 

 McFarland 

 Burke No. 1 

 

 Shorewood Hills 

 Burke No. 2 

 

 

 Waunakee 

 Burke No. 6 

Mercury 

Pollutant 

Minimization 

Program (PMP) 

September 

30, 2007 

As of 2006: 22.3% voluntary 

separators. 

100% compliance with the 

amalgam separator installation 

requirement by December 31, 

2008 

Mercury concentration in 

effluent from 2004 to 2006 

relatively constant 

 223,38916

Milwaukee 

Metropolitan 

Sewerage District 

Ordinance Requires amalgam separators 50017 1.1 million 

people in a 

420 squaremile service 

area18
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-6- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental 

Offices 

Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES 

Palo Alto, East Palo 

Alto, Los Altos, Los 

Altos Hills, and 

Mountain View, 

CA 

Ordinance Separators installed by 2005 

100% Compliance (EPA-HQOW-2006-0771-0463( 

13219 Palo Alto: 

57,80920

East Palo 

Alto: 32,784 

Los Altos 

Hills: 8,308 

Mountain 

View: 

70,090 

San Francisco and 

surrounding Bay 

Area communities, 

CA--The cities are: 

East Palo Alto, Los 

Altos, Los Altos 

Hills, Mountain 

View, Palo Alto, 

Richmond Annex, 

and the Union 

Ordinance A San Francisco ordinance 

provides that dentists must 

obtain a permit and either 

monitor their dental office 

wastewater or install a separator 

to be deemed in compliance. 

520 

eventually 

will install 

separator 

339 of the 

520 

(65.2%)

have 

installed 

an 

amalgam 

separator21

San 

Francisco: 

744,04122

East Palo 

Alto: 32,784 

Los Altos: 

27,483 

Los Altos 

Hills: 8,308 

Mountain 

View: 

70,090 

Palo Alto: 

57,809 

Richmond 

Annex: 

102,120 

Sanitary District 

(Fremont, Newark 

and Union City) 

Ordinance A San Francisco ordinance 

provides that dentists must 

obtain a permit and either 

monitor their dental office 

wastewater or install a separator 

to be deemed in compliance. 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-7- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental Offices Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES 

East Bay Municipal 

Utility District 

(Alameda 

Albany 

Berkely 

El Cerrito 

Emeryville 

Kensington 

Oakland 

Piedmont) 

Our wastewater 

system serves 

approximately 

640,000 people 

in an 83-squaremile area of 

Alameda and 

Contra Costa 

counties along 

the Bay's east 

shore, 

extending from 

Richmond on 

the north, 

southward to 

San Leandro. 

 31223 Alameda: 

70,699 

Albany: 

15,965 

Berkeley: 

101,555 

El Cerrito: 

22,600 

Emeryville: 

8,751 

Kensington: 

4,936 

Oakland: 

397,067 

Piedmont: 

10,540 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-8- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental Offices Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES

KING COUNTY, 

WA 

(Alderwood, 

Algona, 

Auburn, 

Bellevue, 

Black Diamond, 

Bothell, Brier, 

Carnation, 

Cedar River, 

Coal Creek, 

Cross Valley, 

Highlands Sewer 

District, 

Issaquah, Kent, 

Kirkland, Lake 

Forest Park, 

Lakehaven, 

Mercer Island, 

Muckleshoot 

Indian Tribe, 

Northeast 

Sammamish, 

Northshore, 

Olympic View, 

Pacific,Redmond, 

Renton, Ronald 

Sammamish 

Plateau, Seattle, 

Skyway, Soos 

Creek, Tukwila, 

Valley View, 

Vashon, 

Woodinville 

Ordinance Requires dentists to 

adhere to numerical limits 

for discharge and be 

subject to fines for 

violations or to install an 

amalgam separator and be 

deemed in compliance. 

1,50024 1,826,73225
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-9- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION Dental Offices Population 

MANDATORY SEPARATORS --- MUNICIPALITIES

Solon, Ohio Ordinance Requires dentists to install 

separators 

 22,25726

Wichita, KS Ordinance Requires a two-phase 

program. 

Phase I is the purchase 

and installation of certain 

equipment, filters, etc; 

beyond the ordinary traps 

and filters; 

Phase II would have 

required installation of 

separators in 2004 if City 

didn’t achieve expected 

reductions from Phase I. 

In 2003, about 80% of 

dentists did install 

separators during Phase I, 

so there was no need to 

implement Phase II. 

20027 357,69828

Narragansett Bay 

area, Rhode Island 

 Amalgam separators are 

considered part of BMPs 

by Narragansett Bay 

Commission 

State rule means 

all dental offices 

are covered (see 

Rhode Island 

entry) 

360,00029

Los Angeles, CA Ordinance Requires BMPs 1,20030 3,849,37831

NE Ohio 

(NEORSD)

Administrative 

orders to 1,100 

service 

area 

dentists.(April 

1, 2002,)

Requires BMPs 

Recommends separators 

1,10032 4,500,00033
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-10- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION COMPLIANCE Population 

MANDATORY --- MUNICIPALITIES

 Sum of

Population 

Covered by 

a Mandatory 

Separators 

47,956,089 

 Total 

Percent of 

the US 

Population 

16% 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-11- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION DENTAL 

OFFICES 

Population 

STATE/MUNICIPAL RECOMMENDED PROGRAM 

Colorado- Colorado-Colorado 

Dental Association 

agreement 

Recommends separators 2,36634 4,753,377 

Wisconsin Wisconsin—Dane 

County. 

Wisconsin Dental 

Association and 

Dane County 

Dental Society 

agreement 

Recommends separators 2,02335 5,556,506 

Washington 

State (outside of 

King County) 

Memorandum of 

Understanding36

Separator installation 

rates increased to 80% 

from 2003 to 200537

2,10238 4,569,066 

Minneapolis-St. 

Paul, MN 

MCES-State 

Dental Association 

agreement 

Recommends separators 

99% compliance 

72439 372,833 and 

273,535 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-12- 

JURISDICTION DATE ACTION DENTAL 

OFFICES 

Population 

STATE MERCURY REDUCTION PROGRAM --- UNCERTAIN 

 Sum of

Population 

Covered by 

guidance 

11.232 

million 

 Total 

Percent of 

the US 

Population 

3.7% 

SUMMARY STATE/MUNICIPAL RECOMMENDED OR VOLUNTARY PROGRAM

 Total number 

of dental offices 

= 122,918 

Dentist that use 

amalgam 

~36,798 

Sum of 

Population 

Covered by 

Mandatory 

and Voluntary 

Separators

63,481,406 

 Total percent of 

dental offices 

covered by 

Mandatory or 

Recommended 

Separators 

28.7% 

Total Percent 

of the US 

Population 

Covered by 

Mandatory 

and 

Recommended 

Separators

21.1% 

 

1

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

2

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

3

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

4

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-13- 

 5

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

6

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

7

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

8

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

9

 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

10 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

11 Amalgam Waste Management - Issues and Answers, available at <http://www.p2pays.org/ref%5C04/03853.pdf>. 

12 Mercury in Municipal Wastewater. Tim Tuominen, WLSSD, Rebecca Flood, MCES 

(September 19, 2007) available at <http://www.mnei.org/policy/images/HgTMDLmeetinginfo/WastewaterTreatment.pdf> at 15 of 35. 140 separators were installed in 

these offices. Id. at 16 of 35. 

13 http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/files/Utilities/WRAB/August%2021,%202006/item2_attacha.pdf. 

14 http://fcgov.com/utilities/pdf/water-supply.pdf 

15 http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/files/Utilities/Projects/wwtp_mp_2007.pdf at 13 of 225. 

16 http://www.madsewer.org/CommunitiesServed.htm 

17 http://www.mmsd.com/news/detail.cfm?id=10. 

18 http://www.mmsd.com/about/index.cfm 

19 City of Palo Alto, Advanced Mercury Source Control Study, 2004 Annual Report of Activity at page 3 of 22 

(February 2005), available at <http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3741>. 

20 http://factfinder.census.gov 

21 http://www.sfenvironment.org/downloads/library/pdf1e.pdf. 

22http://factfinder.census.gov 

23 East Bay Municipal Utility District, 2006 Pretreatment and Pollution Prevention Report at 5-11 (2007), available 

at 

<http://www.ebmud.com/wastewater/industrial_&_commercial_permits_&_fees/pollution_prevention_program/ann

ual_report/ww_pollution_prevention_annualreport_2006.pdf >. 

24Management of hazardous dental wastes in King County, 1991-2000 at 4 (2005), available at 

<http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/publications/HazDentalWasteMgmt.pdf>. 
TABLE OF MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED SEPARATOR REQUIREMENTS 

-14- 

 

25 http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/mwpaac/index.htm 

26 http://factfinder.census.gov

27 http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/WaterAndSewer/SewageTreatment/SilverMercury.htm 

28 http://factfinder.census.gov

29 http://www.narrabay.com/factsFigures.asp. 

30 Dental Offices and Clinics Program: Project Overview (2005), available at <http://www.lacity.org/SAN/ens2h_dental.pdf.>. 

3131 http://factfinder.census.gov

 

32 Regional Sewer District, Keith J. Linn, NEORSD Environmental Specialist, Dental Mercury at the Northeast 

Ohio at 14 of 36 (December 2, 2002), available at < http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/mercury/meetings/Linn.pdf >. 

33 Cite 

34 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

35 Memorandum from Derek Singer, ERG, to Jan Matuszko, EPA, Subject: Dental Amalgam Best Management 

Practices: Separators: Summary of Effectiveness, Current Use and Cost (DCN 04852) at Appendix 1 (September 

26, 2007). 

36 Washington State, Department of Ecology, Memorandum of Understanding, Dental Compliance Follow-up 

Report (July 26,)., available at <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0604011.pdf>. 

37 Washington State, Department of Ecology, Memorandum of Understanding, Dental Compliance Follow-up 

Report at 1 (July 26,)., available at <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0604011.pdf>. 

38 Washington State, Department of Ecology, Memorandum of Understanding, Dental Compliance Follow-up 

Report at 9 (July 26,)., available at <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0604011.pdf>. 

39 Mercury in Municipal Wastewater. Tim Tuominen, WLSSD, Rebecca Flood, MCES (September 19, 2007) 

available at <http://www.mn-ei.org/policy/images/HgTMDLmeetinginfo/WastewaterTreatment.pdf> at 27 of 35.