The City's Mercury Minimization Plan includes requirements for dental practices to control the discharge of amalgam and other metals into the wastewater system.
- Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper which is used to fill cavities in teeth.
- Mercury and other metals can have a wide range of harmful effects on human and aquatic life once released into the aquatic environment.
- The City’s wastewater treatment plant is not designed to remove toxic metal pollutants in waste streams before release into the Columbia River.