United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 2014_register executive 2014-10-22 article Part III Proposed Rules D09002ee1c7f8544f D09002ee1c7f8557d United States Environmental Protection Agency originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency EPA is proposing technology-based pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges of pollutants into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from existing and new dental practices that discharge dental amalgam. Dental amalgam contains mercury in a highly concentrated form that is relatively easy to collect and recycle. Dental offices are the main source of mercury discharges to POTWs. Mercury is a persistent and bioaccumulative pollutant in the environment with well-documented neurotoxic effects on humans. Mercury pollution is widespread and comes from many diverse sources such as air deposition from municipal and industrial incinerators and combustion of fossil fuels. Mercury easily becomes diffuse in the environment and mercury pollution is a global problem. Removing mercury from the waste stream when it is in a concentrated and easy to handle form like in waste dental amalgam is an important and commonsense step to take to prevent that mercury from being released back into the environment where it can become diffuse and a hazard to humans. The proposal would require dental practices to comply with requirements for controlling the discharge of mercury and other metals in dental amalgam into POTWs based on the best available technology or best available demonstrated control technology. Specifically, the requirements would be based on the use of amalgam separators and best management practices (BMPs). Amalgam separators are a practical, affordable and readily available technology for capturing mercury and other metals before they are discharged into sewers and POTWs. EPA is also proposing to amend selected parts of the General Pretreatment Regulations to streamline oversight requirements for the dental sector. EPA expects compliance with this proposed rule would reduce the discharge of metals to POTWs by at least 8.8 tons per year, about half of which is mercury. EPA estimates the annual cost of the proposed rule would be $44 to $49 million. 79 FR 63258 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2014-10-22/2014-24347 2014-24347 fr22oc14-18 RIN 2040-AF26 6560-50-P EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0693 FRL-9911-63-OW https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2014-10-22/2014-24347 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-10-22/html/2014-24347.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-10-22/pdf/2014-24347.pdf Environmental Protection Dental Dental Office Dentist Mercury Pretreatment Waste Treatment and Disposal Water Pollution Control 29 p. 63258 63286 79 FR 63258 Title 40 Part 403 40 CFR Part 403 Title 40 Part 441 40 CFR Part 441 RIN 2040-AF26 Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Category; Federal Register Vol. 79, Issue PRORULE 2014-24347 III ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2014-11-21 2014-11-10 EPA-HQ-OW-2014-0693 FRL-9911-63-OW 6560-50-P 2014-24347 Proposed rule.

EPA is proposing technology-based pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges of pollutants into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from existing and new dental practices that discharge dental amalgam. Dental amalgam contains mercury in a highly concentrated form that is relatively easy to collect and recycle. Dental offices are the main source of mercury discharges to POTWs. Mercury is a persistent and bioaccumulative pollutant in the environment with well-documented neurotoxic effects on humans. Mercury pollution is widespread and comes from many diverse sources such as air deposition from municipal and industrial incinerators and combustion of fossil fuels. Mercury easily becomes diffuse in the environment and mercury pollution is a global problem. Removing mercury from the waste stream when it is in a concentrated and easy to handle form like in waste dental amalgam is an important and commonsense step to take to prevent that mercury from being released back into the environment where it can become diffuse and a hazard to humans. The proposal would require dental practices to comply with requirements for controlling the discharge of mercury and other metals in dental amalgam into POTWs based on the best available technology or best available demonstrated control technology. Specifically, the requirements would be based on the use of amalgam separators and best management practices (BMPs). Amalgam separators are a practical, affordable and readily available technology for capturing mercury and other metals before they are discharged into sewers and POTWs. EPA is also proposing to amend selected parts of the General Pretreatment Regulations to streamline oversight requirements for the dental sector. EPA expects compliance with this proposed rule would reduce the discharge of metals to POTWs by at least 8.8 tons per year, about half of which is mercury. EPA estimates the annual cost of the proposed rule would be $44 to $49 million.

Comments on this proposed rule must be received on or before December 22, 2014. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), comments on the information collection provisions must be received by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on or before November 21, 2014. EPA will conduct a public hearing on November 10, 2014 at 1 p.m. in the William J. Clinton Building--East Room 1153, 1201 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. Damon Highsmith, Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T), Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone: 202-566-2504; email: highsmith.damon@epa.gov. Environmental Protection Dental Dental Office Dentist Mercury Pretreatment Waste Treatment and Disposal Water Pollution Control Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Category , highsmith.damon@epa.gov OW-Docket@epa.gov http://epa.gov/ncepihom http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/dental/index.cfm http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=42288 http://www.regulations.gov www.regulations.gov Vol. 79, no. 204 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 2014-10-22 continuing daily deposited born digital 266 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2014-10-22 P0b002ee189e63e08 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr22oc14 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2014-10-22 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-10-22/pdf/FR-2014-10-22.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-10-22/xml/FR-2014-10-22.xml fdlp 63031 63286 DGPO 2014-10-22 2024-06-02 FR-2014-10-22 machine generated eng FR FR-2014-10-22 79 204