Dental amalgam waste (mercury): pollution prevention planning notice

Note: This notice remains in effect. Dental facilities can still become subject to the notice and will be required to prepare and implement a pollution prevention plan as per the deadlines below.

This notice applies to any dental facility that has not implemented all of the best management practices set out in appendix A of the notice or in the Memorandum of understanding respecting the implementation of the Canada-wide standard on mercury for dental amalgam waste (document available upon request) between the Canadian dental association and the Government of Canada for the voluntary implementation of the Canada-wide standard on mercury for dental amalgam waste.

For more details, refer to the dental amalgam waste (mercury) notice (PDF).

If you are uncertain whether you are subject to the notice, contact us for clarification or to obtain a notification of non-engagement form.

Deadlines

If you became subject to the notice after May 8, 2010, you must:

  • prepare a pollution prevention plan within 3 months from the date you became subject to the notice and then submit a report (schedule 1) within 30 days following the end of the 3-month period
  • implement the pollution prevention plan within 6 months from the date you became subject to the notice and then submit a report (schedule 5) no later than 30 days following the end of the 6-month period

Reporting

You must complete and submit reports to the Government of Canada. Contact us to receive instructions.

Time Extension

Clinique Dentaire Dr. Michel Boily was granted a time extension to implement their pollution prevention plan (PDF). The deadline was extended to April 31, 2011.

Health First Dental was granted a time extension to implement their pollution prevention plan (PDF). The deadline was extended to April 1, 2011.

Dr. Lenard Chrapko DDS was granted a time extension to implement their pollution prevention plan (PDF). The deadline was extended to January 15, 2011.

Performance results

As of December 31, 2010, the Government of Canada had received a total of 204 declarations that a plan had been implemented. This was five times less than the estimated number of dental facilities subject to the notice. In response to the low participation rate, a survey of dental facilities across Canada was commissioned in 2012. The 2012 survey indicated an increase in the number of dental facilities that had adopted best management practices (BMPs) and that had installed dental amalgam separators. Several factors outside of the scope of the notice, including an increased environmental awareness of mercury waste management among dental facilities, marketing efforts from dental amalgam separators suppliers, and provincial and municipal initiatives, may have played an important role in the implementation of BMPs, including the use of dental amalgam separators. These factors contributed to the achievement of the risk management objective of 95% national reduction in mercury releases into the environment from dental amalgam waste, from a base year of 2000. For more information, see the performance report.

Related information

Past consultations

Proposed notice (PDF)

Contact us  

Technical inquiries regarding the content of this notice:
Products Division
Email: ec.produits-products.ec@canada.ca

Inquiries regarding reporting and pollution prevention practices:
Regulatory Innovation and Management Systems
Telephone: 1-844-580-3637
Email: ec.planp2-p2plan.ec@canada.ca

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