Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution
Meeting #51: Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Location: Conference Room, Environmental Assistance Division
Laundry Building, Waterbury State Complex, Waterbury, Vermont
MINUTES
Members Present:
Michael Bender, Abenaki Self-Help Association, Inc.
Bill Bress, Vermont Department of Health
Ruma Kohli, chemical Management Program Manager, IBM, Burlington
Rich Phillips, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Guests Present:
None
The Committee members and interested parties gathered in the Conference Room of the Environmental Assistance Division, Waterbury State Complex.
Rich Phillips called the meeting to order.
Agenda Item 1-
Accept minutes of the March meeting and possible changes to today's agenda.
March minutes were approved. An additional item was added to the agenda as the committee arranged for Judith Feinstein with Maine to attend by
telephone to share their experience regarding amalgam brochure legislation.
Agenda Item 2-
Review dental office brochures and research and findings of the Norwegian Federal Health Agency.
- Reviewed the ADA and Maine brochures. The Committee agreed that the Main brochure is preferable for its balanced and objective approach.
- The Committee will make arrangements for the representative from the Norwegian Federal Health Agency to present via telephone at the next meeting.
Agenda Item 3-
Updates on current progress of outreach projects: 1) Outreach to sensitive populations - MS SPOC, 2) Lamp recycling outreach, 3) Amalgam separator
project.
Updates were not presented due to lack of time and will be provided at later meetings.
Agenda Item 4-
Updates and other topics not on agenda.
The committee arranged for Judith Feinstein with Maine to advise the Committee regarding their efforts with legislation that mandated dentists
to place posters and provide brochures to their patient.
- Third attempt at legislation - it was six years in obtaining it
- Strongly worded but supported by Speaker of the House
- Finally got to Natural Resources
- Other mercury legislation passed
- Original proposal for ban on amalgam
- Bill finally just had brochure and warning poster
- Directed substantive rule making for brochure back to committee
- Developing was long process
- Gather information
- Develop draft didn't look like the final
- Public health agency had to make everybody happy
- Prevention so don't need any fillings
- Shows environmental message
- Bring to committee
- Bureau of Health supposed to print and distribute - but no money - had to get money from legislature - obligated to provide one copy of brochure
and poster for each office.
- Nothing on enforcement and oversight
- Mail copies of cover letter that went out
- Laws and Rules in dental practice act -(in the statute).
- Final resolve in their governing statute
- Any dentist coming in shall display poster
- Any if use amalgam.
- Dental Association was very cooperative once they knew it was going to happen - they helped with good connections - originally they didn't support
it but it was too much
- Flurry of calls after the brochures sent - cover memo that went to dentist was used to respond.
- Question - does each receive a copy to take home - no, read them
- Or set off website
- No letter or lawsuits since adopted
- Mailed end of 2002. No change proposed in legislature yet - no challenge expected
- If science changes on any of the information in brochures, they would update the brochure or otherwise provide new information
- They have no baseline to see if the brochure is accomplishing anything. (no directive, no money) in reducing amalgam use.
- 600+ dentists in Maine - about ¾ general practices
Agenda Item 5-
Set date and agenda for next meeting.
The next meeting will be scheduled via e-mail. The Committee discussed and determined the scheduling and agenda for the next meeting as follows:
- Results of the amalgam separator study will be presented
- Review of the Norwegian information with a Norwegian representative via conference call.
- Discussion of brochures and potential agreement on approach with Vermont State Dental Society.
- Michael will contact the Norwegian representative to check availability at 10:00 am EST for May 13th or 20th which are days that Peter Taylor
is available.
- When time is agreed, Karen will contact Peter for confirmation of a date and e-mail Committee.
- Bill Bress will schedule a conference room at the Department of Health for the meeting.
- Bill will provide the brochures to the dental group at DOH ahead of the meeting and have someone from that group attend the meeting.
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