MERC Vermont | Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution Meeting Minutes

Eleventh Meeting: Wednesday December 15, 1999
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Dunbar Room in Fanny Allen Campus of Fletcher Allen Health Care
Rt. 15, Colchester, Vermont

Members Present:
Richard Phillips, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Michael Bender, Abenaki Self-Help Association, Inc
Hollie Shaner, Fletcher Allen Health Care

Guests Present:
Donna Barlow Casey, Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District
Allison Crowley-Demag, New England Public Affairs Group
Kevin Leahy, Esq., Downs, Rachlin & Martin
Peter Taylor, Vermont State Dental Society
Tom Benoit, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Karen Knaebel,Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance

The Committee members and interested parties gathered in the Dunbar Room in Fanny Allen Campus of Fletcher Allen Health Care, Colchester, Vermont and the meeting was called to order by Hollie Shaner.

The reading and acceptance of minutes were deferred to be included in the agenda for the January 12, 2000 meeting when more members could be present.

Draft letter will be prepared by Michael Bender and forwarded to Karen Knaebel for distribution to the Committee for their review and finalize at January 12, 2000 meeting.

A draft of the report will be sent out to all members of the Committee and comments are to be sent back to Karen Knaebel no later than December 29, 1999.
Comments are to be on the recommendations or on the body of the report.
Conflicts on comments to the report will be refined at the next meeting.

Draft was distributed to Committee members for their review. The following revisions were made:

In seventh bulleted item regarding Health Department pamphlets, add the word "canned" in front of tuna and put tuna as the last fish in the list at the end of the sentence.
Michael Bender is to check on status of the dairy manometer pilot project with the Department of Agriculture and obtain information regarding non-working farms.
Add ongoing support of school clean-out project.

Add a recommendation to support completion of school clean-out project and support for continued funding.
Add to support continued education and outreach efforts by the Agency.
Change the second recommendation to include: "particularly from sensitive populations and populations known to consume large amounts of fish."

IV. Methods to minimize risk of further contamination or increased health risk

Add the word "NEWMOA" to the third sentence before "model mercury legislation" to clarify.
Rephrase the last sentence on page six to reflect a positive rather than negative as to what the law does not do.
Eliminate the words "and dental amalgam substitutes" from first sentence in last paragraph.

Correct the first sentence in first item under recommendations to read: "The Committee will review and evaluate the model mercury legislation during 2000 and intends to make legislative recommendations for comprehensive statutory amendments into Vermont’s law in 2000."
Strike the words "Owners of appliances and" from first sentence of third recommendation and begin sentence with "Those who remove."
Strike the last sentence from third recommendation regarding training. Include a recommendation for non-legislative actions for the state to work with solid waste districts to provide training for those who remove mercury components from appliances. This recommendation is to be phased in over a period of time. This item is to be placed in the Committee’s work plan for 2000 to work with the districts on a training program.
Add a recommendation that the Health Department implement educational outreach for health care community to understand why there is a need to go mercury free.
Readdress mercury thermometer phase out and possible appropriations for low income families at January 12, 2000 Committee meeting.
Correct the wording in sixth recommendation to read "dental offices," rather than clinics.
Eliminate the words "use and," and change to "reducing release of mercury."
Correct "mercury amalgams" to read "amalgams."
Change the word "establishment" to "development" in seventh recommendation and eliminate the word schools.

VI. Ways to coordinate with other states to effectively address mercury issues

Discuss details for release of 2000 Report, press conference and possible coordination with date for card room.

Agenda item deferred to January 12, 2000 meeting once information is obtained on availability of January 27, 2000 date.

Final approval of information to be placed on mercury web site for Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution

All samples were distributed to the members at the previous meeting. Corrections and most of the photos were received. Once all photographs are submitted, the web site will be put on line.

Meeting Locations
The Committee discussed problems with conference call capabilities in meeting locations as referenced to Ric Erdheim’s ability to attend meetings. Rich Phillips advised that he would check the Burlington Waste Water Treatment Plant location for the possibility of running a telephone line from another area for future meetings.

The Committee agreed that the meeting on January 12, 2000 should be held in the State House if possible to allow for more convenient attendance by Committee members. Karen Knaebel is to determine the availability of the Ethan Allen Room.

Thermometer Take-Back Information
Donna Barlow-Casey is to e-mail information to Karen Knaebel to distribute to the Committee members prior to the next meeting regarding costs for thermometer take back programs implemented by the Solid Waste Districts.

Meeting Minutes
The Committee discussed and agreed that meeting minutes would, in the future, be more concise and the bulleted method used in the previous two meeting minutes would be adequate.

Information on Dental Amalgams
Peter Taylor from the Vermont State Dental Society addressed the Committee offering to supply information regarding dental use of amalgams. Mr. Taylor informed the Committee that dental amalgam substitutes were available to dentists but that the use of these substitutes was decided upon by each individual dentist. The changes by the dentist could be made once they obtain acceptance and experience in using the substitutes. He explained that the substitute amalgam took more time to put in place. Mr. Taylor referred to a recycling guide for mercury amalgams and proper waste management in dental offices. The guide, he felt, has been successful. Mr. Taylor added that forty pounds of dental amalgams had been turned in to the solid waste districts by dental offices for recycling.

Michael Bender suggested a gradual phase in of substitute amalgams. Mr. Bender expressed a need to obtain input from dentists regarding their current best management practices. To take the next steps to move forward in a voluntary manner with dentists to encourage them to bring in more dental amalgam for disposal.

The Committee determined that the discussion regarding any recommendations on dental amalgams should be continued at the next meeting when more members were present.

Next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution is to be held on January 12, 1999 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 and has been relocated from the Burlington Municipal Waste Water Treatment Plant to the Vermont State House, Ethan Allen Room, 115 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont.


		Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution