EPA Announces Public Listening Sessions and Roundtables on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions

EPA Announces Public Listening Sessions and Roundtables on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2021) —  Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced upcoming public listening sessions and roundtables to ensure that communities and stakeholders have the opportunity to provide their perspectives to the agency on protections from lead in drinking water. The impact of lead exposure, including through drinking water, is a public health issue of paramount importance and its adverse effects on children and public health are serious and well known. The goal of public engagement is to obtain further input on EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), including from individuals and communities that are most at-risk of exposure to lead in drinking water.

"Lower income communities and communities of color are often disproportionately exposed to lead, which can cause life-long negative effects," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Today, we are inviting these communities and other stakeholders to share their perspectives so that EPA can ensure that its review of the revised Lead and Copper Rule is grounded in their lived experience."

Virtual public listening sessions will be held on April 28, 2021, and May 5, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., eastern daylight time. Those interested in speaking can sign up for a 3-minute speaking slot on EPA's website at: www.epa.gov/safewater.

During this event, registered members of the public will be provided the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns about the impact of lead in their community as it relates to the LCRR with EPA senior officials and managers.

EPA will then host community-focused virtual roundtables, starting in May of 2021. The roundtables will facilitate discussion of their unique perspectives on LCRR-related topics among EPA and local organizations including but not limited to, local government entities, public water utilities, community-organized groups, environmental groups and elected officials.

Starting in June of 2021, EPA will also host virtual roundtables with other important stakeholder groups, including drinking water utilities, intergovernmental associations, environmental organizations, environmental justice organizations, public health organizations, and consumer associations. These stakeholder roundtables will allow representatives of national organizations to discuss LCRR-related topics and provide their national perspective to the Agency. Finally, EPA also intends to host a national co-regulator meeting with primacy agencies (e.g., states, tribes, and territories) in July 2021 to discuss the feedback received from communities and stakeholders.

EPA requests that communities or organizations that would like to be considered for a community-focused or stakeholder roundtable submit a nomination letter to the Agency not later than April 23, 2021.

Members of the public that are unable to attend any of the events will be able to submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov,  Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 until June 30, 2021.

For details on what should be included in the nomination letters, meeting materials, and for additional event details visit: www.epa.gov/safewater.

 

 

 

 

 

  

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EPA Recognizes Electronics Industry Leaders in New Jersey and New York

CONTACT: mcbay.stephen@epa.gov   EPA Recognizes Electronics Industry Leaders in New Jersey and New York for Diverting 176,494 Tons of Electronic Products from Landfills Part of a nationwide challenge to reduce environmental impacts across the country and help address climate change NEW YORK (March 31, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that LG Electronics USA, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Samsung Electronics, Montville, NJ and  Xerox Corporation, Webster, NY are among the 2020 winners of the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge Award. The SMM Challenge encourages electronics manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers to send 100 percent of the used electronics they collect to third-party certified electronics refurbishers and recyclers. The 2020 award winners reused or recycled 176,494 tons of electronics and avoided the equivalent of nearly 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. "The innovation and environmental leadership shown by these companies is outstanding," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "The Electronics Challenge award winners are corporate role models creating new products that show environmental improvement can go hand-in-hand with other technological advances. EPA encourages others to follow their lead by implementing similar innovative approaches." The use of electronic products has grown exponentially over the past two decades, changing the way people communicate and more recently, how they stay in touch during the pandemic. Reusing and recycling reduces environmental impacts, including those from climate change, throughout the life cycle of electronics, while also creating green jobs. Since 2012, EPA has been recognizing leading electronics manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers for their significant contributions in electronics sustainability as part of the SMM Electronics Challenge. This year the Agency is honoring three categories of winners with its Gold Tier Awards, Champion Awards, and a Special Award for participants who made significant contributions during the pandemic. Gold Tier Award EPA's Gold Tier Award is presented to organizations with exemplary electronics collection and recycling programs. The 2020 recipients of this award are: Dell Technologies (Round Rock, TX) LG Electronics USA, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) Samsung Electronics (Montville, NJ) Sony Electronics Inc. (San Diego, CA) Staples (Framingham, MA) TCL North America (Corona, CA) T-Mobile (Bellevue, WA) VIZIO, Inc. (Irvine, CA) Xerox Corporation (Webster, NY) Champion Award EPA' Champion Award recognizes industry leaders in demonstrating environmental, social, and economic outcomes that go above and beyond the requirements of the Electronics Challenge. These participants are leading the charge to improve sustainability of their products and incorporate recycled and renewable materials in their packaging. The 2020 recipients of this award are: Dell Technologies – For developing the Dell Latitude 7300 25th Anniversary laptop with sustainability features, such as using 25 percent discarded plastics and 75 percent high density polyethylene plastics in the packaging tray. Samsung Electronics – For using materials with fewer environmental impacts for the Galaxy S10's packaging, including introducing its first plastic-free packaging design.  Special Award for Sustainability Practices During a Pandemic This year EPA is also recognizing significant achievements of the last year through a Special Award to those Challenge participants that continued electronics sustainability practices during a pandemic by creating safe ways to keep products from building up in homes and by supporting underserved communities with computers. TCL North America – For holding free electronics collection events to ensure proper recycling and reuse during the pandemic. Dell Technologies – For donating refurbished laptops to help pilot educational initiatives. For more information on the 2020 SMM Electronics Challenge award winners: https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/sustainable-materials-management-smm-electronics-challenge-recognition-and-awards For more information on EPA's Sustainable Materials Management of electronics program: http://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics For information on where consumers can donate or recycle electronics: http://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling For information about EPA's National Recycling Goal: https://www.epa.gov/americarecycles/us-national-recycling-goal Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-015

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EPA News: EPA orders Philadelphia company to stop making inaccurate health claims about pesticide

CONTACT: R3press@epa.gov EPA orders Philadelphia company to  stop making inaccurate health claims about pesticide PHILADELPHIA (March 31, 2021) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered ViaClean Technologies, operating in Philadelphia, to stop marketing the pesticide BioProtect RTU with claims that it is effective against surfaces from public health related pathogens such as the coronavirus. Although the product is registered to inhibit the growth of "non-public health" microorganisms, it is not registered to address "public health" pathogens. EPA is concerned that customers may have used this product as protection from a virus – such as the coronavirus -- in lieu of other EPA-approved disinfection methods. "Improperly marketed pesticides, especially during a pandemic, may cause injury to consumers," said Acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Administrator Diana Esher. "EPA remains vigilant and will continue to protect the health and safety of Americans from products that have false or misleading public health claims." ViaClean provided two BioProtect RTU fact sheets containing public health claims to at least one customer, including the statement that the pesticide can be used to kill "germs." Some online distributors, cleaning services, and end-recipients of BioProtect RTU were also making unsubstantiated claims that this product is effective against pathogens, germs, disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and/or the novel coronavirus for up to 90 days. EPA issued a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order to prevent BioProtectRTU from continuing to sell this product with public health claims that have not been substantiated through the pesticide registration process. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs, including disinfectants, are considered pesticides and must be registered with the EPA. Public health claims can only be made regarding products that have been properly tested and are registered with the EPA. EPA has released an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. List-N contains over 460 additional products—including products that went through the expedited review process for emerging viral pathogens. To view the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2 For more information on EPA resources on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus For more information on pesticides, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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EPA News: EPA orders Philadelphia company to stop making inaccurate health claims about pesticide

CONTACT: p3ress@epa.gov EPA orders Philadelphia company to stop making inaccurate health claims about pesticide PHILADELPHIA (March 31, 2021) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered ViaClean Technologies, operating in Philadelphia, to stop marketing the pesticide BioProtect RTU with claims that it is effective against surfaces from public health related pathogens such as the coronavirus. Although the product is registered to inhibit the growth of "non-public health" microorganisms, it is not registered to address "public health" pathogens. EPA is concerned that customers may have used this product as protection from a virus – such as the coronavirus -- in lieu of other EPA-approved disinfection methods. "Improperly marketed pesticides, especially during a pandemic, may cause injury to consumers," said Acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Administrator Diana Esher. "EPA remains vigilant and will continue to protect the health and safety of Americans from products that have false or misleading public health claims." ViaClean provided two BioProtect RTU fact sheets containing public health claims to at least one customer, including the statement that the pesticide can be used to kill "germs." Some online distributors, cleaning services, and end-recipients of BioProtect RTU were also making unsubstantiated claims that this product is effective against pathogens, germs, disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and/or the novel coronavirus for up to 90 days. EPA issued a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order to prevent BioProtectRTU from continuing to sell this product with public health claims that have not been substantiated through the pesticide registration process. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs, including disinfectants, are considered pesticides and must be registered with the EPA. Public health claims can only be made regarding products that have been properly tested and are registered with the EPA. EPA has released an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. List-N contains over 460 additional products—including products that went through the expedited review process for emerging viral pathogens. To view the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products, visit https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2 For more information on EPA resources on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus For more information on pesticides, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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Cleanup work to resume next month at Grasse River Superfund Site in Massena, New York

CONTACT: romanowski.larisa@epa.gov    Cleanup work to resume next month at Grasse River Superfund Site in Massena, New York ALBANY, NY (March 30, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that in-river work will resume next month to address sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the Grasse River Superfund Site (aka Alcoa Aggregation) in Massena, New York. "It's exciting to see the tremendous progress that has been made as we near the finish line for this critically important project," said Walter Mugdan, Acting Regional Administrator. "EPA, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe continue to work together on the oversight of the various components of the project." In 2013, EPA selected a cleanup plan for the site that called for dredging and capping of PCB‐contaminated sediment in a 7.2‐mile stretch of river. The 2021 work will primarily include placement of a 12-inch sand, gravel and/or stone cap in the lower five miles of the main river channel from the Route 131 Bridge to the mouth of the Grasse River, covering over 200 acres; sand backfilling in areas dredged in 2020 near Snug Harbor; and habitat reconstruction throughout the site. The major elements of the in-river work are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. COVID-19 protocols will continue to be followed and safeguards will be maintained for the protection of site workers and the community. To support this year's work, an extended underwater pipeline will be used to transport some clean capping material from two staging areas to river locations. This operation will occur 24 hours a day, six days a week. The pipeline will be submerged along the river shoreline, with some floating sections near the cap operations. The pipeline will be marked with orange and white buoys. Designated crossing areas will be marked with green and red buoys in the channel. The remainder of the capping material will be transported by barges pushed by tugboats and placed mechanically on the river bottom using excavator-type buckets. On-river warning signs will be posted to alert oncoming boating traffic. Information on boater safety can be found on the Arconic project website: www.thegrasseriver.com. Additional recreation advice is available from the New York State Department of Health: "Recreation Advice for Lower Grasse River During Dredging and Capping." Recreational boaters are asked to take caution, reduce speed and adhere to traffic patterns in the project area. A limited amount of dredging will be conducted in the navigational channel in 2021 just downstream of Snug Harbor. Snug Harbor is a small embayment (an embayment is a part of a body of water that extends beyond the general shoreline) on the north shore of the Grasse River, located about a third of a mile upstream from where it joins the St. Lawrence River. In 2020, EPA modified its original cleanup plan to include removal of an additional 90,000 cubic yards of sediment, instead of capping, from an area of the river near Snug Harbor. This additional removal was needed to accommodate a new, larger tugboat purchased by the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, which operates its tugboat out of Snug Harbor. Dredging was substantially completed at Snug Harbor in 2020. Approximately 110,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed from 20 acres of the river. Clean backfill material will be placed in this area in 2021. Two shoreline support areas will be used in 2021 to store and manage capping material; one is the staging area located near the intersection of County Route 42 and Route 131 in Massena and the other is a newly constructed staging area on Haverstock Road. Clean capping material will be brought to these areas by truck and transported by barge or pipeline to the cap placement equipment on the river. As with previous phases of work, a traffic management plan will be in place to address the increased truck traffic at and near the staging areas. The Alcoa East Plant dock will also be used to support the project. While efforts will continue to be made to minimize traffic impacts, residents should exercise caution when driving in these areas. Health and safety plans have also been developed to protect workers and area communities while work is underway. The air and river water will be monitored during the work, and the results will be available on Arconic's project website: www.thegrasseriver.com. Noise and lighting in the work zones will also be monitored. Efforts will be made to mitigate noise generated from the construction activities. The submerged pipeline is expected to help reduce noise levels associated with capping operations during nighttime hours. Mechanical capping will be limited to daytime hours. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (formerly Arconic Inc.) is responsible for performing the work at the site on behalf of the parties responsible for the Superfund cleanup. For more information about the Grasse River Superfund Site, please visit www.epa.gov/superfund/alcoa-aggregate. Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-013

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EPA Issues Administrative Order Requiring City to Construct Sewage Retention Tanks for Gowanus Canal

CONTACT: mcbay.stephen@epa.gov   EPA Issues Administrative Order Requiring City to Construct Sewage Retention Tanks for Gowanus Canal Superfund Site Cleanup   NEW YORK (March 30, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the City of New York (city) to construct and operate two Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) retention tanks to control contaminated solids discharges at the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, New York, which is a key component of the Gowanus Canal cleanup. The EPA's order follows previous orders that EPA issued in 2014 and 2016 to require the city to find a location for and design the two tanks. Controls to reduce CSO discharges and prevent other land-based sources of pollution, such as street runoff, from compromising the cleanup are a critical part of the site's cleanup plan. "This order will ensure that EPA's cleanup efforts will not be undermined by uncontrolled combined sewer overflow discharges that have contributed to the chemical contamination of this waterway and impacted this community for the past century and a half," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "To ensure the integrity of the dredging work, the retention tanks will control New York City's sewer outfalls over the long-term." The administrative order, issued on March 29, 2021, requires the city to construct one 8-million-gallon tank, located at the head of the canal, and one 4-million-gallon tank, located at a New York City Department of Sanitation Salt Lot near the middle of the canal. The order also requires the city to, among other things: Ensure that developers comply with municipal stormwater regulations within the Gowanus area to prevent additional sewer volume from impairing the effectiveness of the CSO tanks; Provide treatment for separated stormwater discharges; Perform monitoring of sewer solids discharges to ensure protection of the dredging remedy; Perform associated maintenance dredging, if determined by EPA to be necessary; Construct a bulkhead on City-owned property to prepare for the second phase of dredging work; and Adhere to an overall schedule for remaining tank design work and construction. The 2013 cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site includes dredging to remove contaminated sediment from the bottom of the canal, which has accumulated because of industrial activity and CSO discharges. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and heavy metals, including mercury, lead, and copper, are present at high levels in the Gowanus Canal sediments. Dredged sediment that contains high levels of liquid tar will be thermally treated at an off-site facility and disposed. The less contaminated dredged sediment will be processed at an off-site facility to transform it into a beneficial use product, such as landfill cover. Certain areas of the native sediment, below the original canal bottom, that contain mobile liquid tar and are too deep to excavate, will be mixed with cement and solidified to prevent the migration of the tar into the water of the canal. Following dredging and solidification of areas of the native sediment, construction of a multilayer cap in dredged areas will isolate and prevent migration of any dissolved chemicals remaining in the deep native sediments.  To view EPA's administrative order, as well as other information and documents concerning cleanup activity and EPA's efforts at the site, please visit www.epa.gov/superfund/gowanus-canal     Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-014

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EPA Withdraws Plantwide Applicability Limit Permit for Limetree Bay Refinery in the U.S. VI

CONTACT: senn.john@epa.gov   EPA Withdraws Plantwide Applicability Limit Permit for Limetree Bay Refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Will Review Clean Air Act Requirements for the Facility   NEW YORK (March 25, 2021) – Amid concerns raised by and appeals filed by non-governmental organizations, members of the community and the company itself, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn its Clean Air Act "plantwide applicability limit" (PAL) permit for the Limetree Bay Terminals and Limetree Bay Refining facility on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands originally issued by EPA on December 2, 2020. The Limetree Bay facility is located in a community with environmental justice concerns. Ensuring that the needs of overburdened communities are taken into account is a priority for EPA. The withdrawal of the PAL permit does not require the facility to discontinue operations. EPA is reconsidering the PAL permit in light of information received during the permitting process and President Biden's executive orders that federal agencies review environmental actions taken during the previous administration. EPA will undertake a thoughtful, timely, technical and legal review of the regulatory requirements applicable to the facility under the Clean Air Act that will engage a broad range of stakeholders. A Clean Air Act PAL permit like the one issued to Limetree Bay gives a regulated entity some flexibility for how it manages air pollution emissions from modifications at a permitted facility. "Withdrawing this permit will allow EPA to reassess what measures are required at the Limetree facility to safeguard the health of local communities in the Virgin Islands, while providing regulatory certainty to the company," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "Today's decision exemplifies good governance and EPA's commitment to addressing critical environmental justice and economic concerns in the Virgin Islands with a broad range of stakeholders." While the PAL permit was issued on December 2, 2020, it never became effective under EPA regulations due to the timely appeals that were filed with EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) by a consortium of environmental and community groups as well as Limetree Bay itself. In their appeals, both sides asked that the permit be sent back to EPA so the Agency could consider their objections to the permit. By withdrawing the permit today, EPA can consult with the affected parties, reassess the permit, and review the legal requirements applicable to the facility under the Clean Air Act outside of EAB's process. EPA's withdrawal renders moot the appeals of the permit to the EAB and withdraws the Agency's responses to comments filed in support of the December 2020 permit. The result of the withdrawal is that Limetree Bay, at this time, will not be afforded the operational flexibilities provided by the PAL provisions of EPA's Prevention of Significant Deterioration regulations under the Clean Air Act. EPA's withdrawal of the PAL permit does not affect Limetree Bay's obligation to comply with existing Clean Air Act requirements, including multiple federal pollution control standards under the New Source Performance Standard and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants programs and various PSD permits issued by EPA. Limetree also has ongoing obligations under permits issued by the U.S. Virgin Islands. The facility is also subject to a Clean Air Act consent decree. The Limetree Bay Terminals and Limetree Bay Refining facility is a complex, integrated petroleum refinery, consisting of refinery process units and various supporting operations including sulfur recovery plants, steam and electric power generation via boilers and gas turbine cogeneration units, wastewater treatment, and a marine terminal. To read EPA's withdrawal notice and for more information including a fact sheet, go to: https://www.epa.gov/caa-permitting/caa-permits-issued-epa-region-2#palpermits.      21-012                                                             ###

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EPA News: U.S., Pennsylvania Resolve Wetlands, Water Violations by Chesapeake Appalachia

CONTACT: R3ress@epa.gov U.S., Pennsylvania Resolve Wetlands, Water Violations by Chesapeake Appalachia PHILADELPHIA (March 24, 2021) – In a settlement agreement with the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Chesapeake Appalachia LLC (CALLC) has resolved a federal-state lawsuit today, alleging Clean Water Act violations disclosed by CALLC at 76 locations in Pennsylvania. In a consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, CALLC has agreed to pay a $1.9 million penalty for violating federal and state clean water laws, and to restore or mitigate harm to the impacted water resources. Under Clean Water Act Section 404, as well as state permit requirements, permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) are required before dredged or fill material may be discharged into wetlands or waterways. In 2014, CALLC informed EPA, the Army Corps and PADEP that an internal audit had identified potential unauthorized discharges of fill material without applicable permits at multiple sites in the Commonwealth. Following lengthy negotiations and multiple site visits by EPA, PADEP and the Army Corps, the company ultimately disclosed potential unauthorized discharges at a total of 76 sites across Pennsylvania, impacting about 26 acres of wetlands and 2,326 linear feet of streams. As part of the settlement, CALLC (or its successor) will either seek after-the-fact authorization from the Army Corps and/or PADEP as appropriate to leave the fill in place, or CALLC will restore the impacted wetlands or waterways. In all cases, the impacted water resource either will be restored or the environmental harm will be offset through off-site compensatory mitigation. "This substantial federal-state settlement highlights the cooperative efforts of EPA and PADEP to protect the Commonwealth's waters and wetlands," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "These natural areas are critical ecological and economic resources for all Pennsylvanians." CALLC is a subsidiary of Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation, one of America's largest oil and gas exploration and production companies. On June 28, 2020, Chesapeake Energy and its affiliated entities, including CALLC, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Texas.  Filling wetlands illegally and damming streams can result in serious environmental consequences. Streams, rivers, and wetlands benefit the environment by reducing flood risks, filtering pollutants, recharging groundwater and drinking water supplies, and providing food and habitat for aquatic species. Any person, firm or agency planning to work in, or discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S., including wetlands, must first obtain a permit from the Army Corps. Compliance with the Army Corps' permit process and regulations helps to ensure that enforcement actions like this one do not occur. For more information about the permitting process under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, contact: Regulatory.Permits@usace.army.mil. The consent decree, lodged today in federal court in Williamsport, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree is available for review at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html #          #          #

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EPA News: Pennsylvania Dentists Getting Check-Up on EPA Rule Compliance

CONTACT: R3ress@epa.gov   Pennsylvania Dentists Getting Check-Up on EPA Rule Compliance PHILADELPHIA (March 22, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is contacting dental offices throughout Pennsylvania via email and the U.S Postal Service to ensure compliance with the Dental Amalgam Rule that requires dentists to conduct best management practices to reduce mercury-containing amalgam waste from entering wastewater treatment systems. Most wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to treat mercury-containing amalgam waste material that may find their way into the environment when dental work requires placing and removing fillings and flushing mercury-containing material into chair-side drains that enter the local sewer system. "Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that poses a threat to human health and the environment," said acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "Once created, mercury never leaves the environment, so it is of utmost importance that we take caution of how much we release through human activities." Best management practices for dentists require the use of separators; prohibiting providers from flushing waste amalgam, such as from traps or filters, down a drain; and prohibiting the use of bleach or chlorine-containing cleaners that may lead to the dissolution of solid mercury when cleaning chair-side traps and vacuum lines. Exempt from this 2017 rule are dentists who do not place amalgam and only remove amalgam in unplanned or emergency situations, dentists who practice in oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, mobile dental units and dentists that discharge to a septic tank. Mercury in the environment can bioaccumulate in fish and shellfish, which leads to detrimental effects on aquatic life and the food chain.  EPA expects compliance with the rule nationally will reduce the annual discharge of mercury to wastewater treatment plants by 5.1 tons as well as 5.3 tons of other metals found in waste dental amalgam. Most of the mercury discharged to the plants is subsequently released to the environment through the incineration, landfilling, land application of sludge or through surface water discharge. Failure to comply with the rule would potentially subject the offender to federal civil and criminal penalties under Section 309 of the Clean Water Act, and to civil and criminal penalties under state and local pretreatment program. For more information: https://www.epa.gov/eg/dental-effluent-guidelines #          #          #

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