The Illinois Legislature has passed SB 1213, which mandates that, beginning in 2015, dental amalgam may not be added, removed, or modified in the course of treating patients at a dental office unless the office has an installed amalgam separator system.
The bill also requires dental schools and vocational dental education programs to instruct students on the use of certain practices to minimize the presence of elemental mercury, unused amalgam, and waste amalgam in discharged wastewater and solid waste.
The legislation is now being considered by Gov. Pat Quinn.
