Mich. Admin. Code R. 338.11801 - Definitions

Rule 1801.

(1) As used in this part:

(a) "Amalgam separator" means a device designed to remove dental amalgam waste particles from dental office wastewater.

(b) "Dental amalgam" means a mixture of mercury and other metals used as a dental restorative material.

(c) "Dental amalgam waste" means waste from a dental office containing any of the following:

(i) Contact amalgam waste, which means dental amalgam that has been in contact with the patient including, but not limited to, extracted teeth with dental amalgam restorations; carving scrap collected at chair-side; and dental amalgam captured by chairside traps, vacuum pump filters, amalgam separators, or other dental amalgam capture devices.

(ii) Non-contact amalgam scrap, which means dental amalgam that has not been in contact with the patient including, but not limited to, excess dental amalgam mix remaining at the end of a dental procedure.

(iii) Empty amalgam capsules, which means individually dosed containers left over after mixing precapsulated dental amalgam.

(iv) Dental amalgam that may have accumulated in the plumbing system or that is found in other areas of a dental office.

(d) "Dentist," means an individual licensed under article 15 of the code, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838, and these rules, to engage in the practice of dentistry, who uses or removes dental amalgam or who owns or operates a dental office that generates dental amalgam waste.

(e) "Discharge" means the release of any dental amalgam waste into the environment. This includes any releases to land, ground or surface waters, septic systems, or wastewater treatment systems.

(f) "Holding tank" means a closed, watertight, sealed structure designed and used to receive and store wastewater. Holding tanks are designed and constructed for ultimate disposal of collected wastewater at another site.

(g) "Recycle" or "recycling" means sending mercury or dental amalgam waste to either the contracted separator company or a facility in the United States that reclaims or distills the mercury for reuse. "Recycle" or "recycling" does not include any of the following:

(i) The on-site processing of mercury or dental amalgam waste.

(ii) The sale, donation, or exchange of mercury or dental amalgam waste through internet lists.

(iii) The sale or donation of mercury or dental amalgam waste to any individual or company for any other reuse purpose.

(2) Unless otherwise defined in these rules, the terms defined in the code have the same meanings when used in this part.

Notes

Mich. Admin. Code R. 338.11801

2012 AACS; 2021 MR 8, Eff. 4/26/2021