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Council gives first reading to ordinance adding dental amalgam regulations to sewer code; staff will consult DEP
Summary
Council held a first reading of an ordinance to add dental amalgam (mercury) regulations to the city's sewer code. Staff said the language follows a Department of Environmental Protection template and will be returned to the council after DEP review.
The City of Perry City Council on May 13 held a first reading of an ordinance that would amend the city’s sewer and sewage disposal code to include dental amalgam regulations. The ordinance language, staff said, came from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a template for municipalities.
At the meeting a council member asked whether the rule covered mercury or older metal fillings; staff replied that modern filling materials differ but that dentists still remove older amalgam fillings and the ordinance would require capturing that waste. Staff said local dental offices are already regulated and inspected and that DEP will review the draft language and may propose edits.
Why it matters: dental amalgam contains mercury and other heavy metals; adding local ordinance language aligns city code with state‑level regulatory templates and aims to reduce discharge of amalgam waste to the sewer system.
Council direction and next steps: because this was the ordinance’s first reading, council asked staff to consult DEP and return with any recommended changes before the second reading. No final vote was taken at this meeting.
