US Congressional Hearing on Dental Mercury:

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US Congressional Hearing on Dental Mercury:

Leaked Document Shows ADA Undercuts Pollution/Exposure Reduction, Say Advocates

D.C., WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -/E-Wire/-- As the American Dental Association prepares to testify before a U.S. Congressional committee today on dental mercury, advocates released a confidential document showing the Association's continuing intent to undermine efforts to reduce dental mercury pollution and human exposure from mercury fillings.

"It is like pulling teeth to get ADA to support efforts to reduce mercury pollution and unnecessary use, even though dentists are the number one contributor of mercury to the nation's wastewater and still one of the largest mercury user in the U.S. today," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. "Meanwhile, the latest Centers for Disease Control data indicate that 8 percent of US women of childbearing age have mercury levels so high that their developing babies are at risk of neurological damage."

ADA has submitted a confidential document to EPA that, in essence, argues that reducing dental mercury pollution through installation of amalgam separators--which can capture between 95% to 99% of the dental mercury particles--is not cost effective or necessary. In the document, ADA urges EPA to issue guidance practically devoid of amalgam separators, that would recommend "Only voluntary BMP's (Best Management Practice) unless environmental conditions or state law require mercury reductions."

The ADA document also attempts to convince EPA not to support widespread installation of amalgam separators, as laws and policies in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine--as well as an increasing number of states and municipalitiesâpropose or now mandate, since dentists have failed to do so voluntarily.

"ADA proposes that EPA work with the ADA to develop guidance that would recommend approaches for the states to take to encourage reduction of amalgam discharges from dental offices to sewer systems," states the document. "Once a final plan is issued, EPA will be asked to send it to the states and EPA regions. It is hoped that this would mean a more systematic approach to regulating amalgam discharge from dental offices."

"ADA continues to trivialize dental mercury impacts, both on people and the environment," said Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice. "This blatant attempt to undermine pollution prevention efforts fits the pattern of operation by the ADA. They deceptively promote mercury fillings as silver, they "gag" dentists who want to warn their patient about mercury risks, and now they want to bypass or undermine environmental rules that apply to everyone else."

The document indicates that ADA is interested not only in undermining government initiatives to reduce mercury pollution, but is also actively lobbying the National Black Caucus of State Legislators to repeal its 2001 resolution calling for patient warnings about mercury in dental fillings. Both Maine and New Hampshire have passed patient notification laws, and a number of states are considering similar legislation.

"We commend Congress Members Dan Burton (R-IN) and Diane Watson (D-CA) for bringing the ADA before the Congress and the American public to explain why health providers continue to pollute the environment and needlessly expose patients to toxic mercury," said Charlie Brown.

The US House of Representatives Subcommittee of the Government Reform Committee's hearing on the environmental impact of mercury-containing dental amalgam is scheduled to be held at 3 pm on October 8, 2003 in Rayburn Office Building, room 2154.

For more information see: www.mercurypolicy.org

Mercury Policy Project

www.mercurypolicy.org

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