Tried to rescind a rule addressing the 8,000+lbs of mercury flushed into public water treatment facilities by dental offices annually.
The rule established new standards for dental offices when disposing of mercury used in dental procedures. A known neurotoxin, mercury is notoriously difficult to remove from water once its been introduced.
Initially rescinded by the Trump administration prior to its official publication, a lawsuit by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) succeeded in forcing the administration to reinstate the rule as originally intended.
Status
Jan. 20th, 2017 RESCINDED
June 9th, 2017 REINSTATED
Rule reinstated following lawsuit by an environmental advocacy group, the NRDC.
Dental Mercury Waste Rule | Brookings Deregulation Tracker
Notables
- All parties – including the American Dental Association – support implementation of the rule, which has been estimated to remove 5.3 tons of metals from being discharged into public wastewater treatment plants.
Factsheet: Limiting Mercury Pollution | NRDC (2.1.17)
