Kudos to the San Francisco Commission on the Environment. On July 9, the Commission mandated that all dentists must install amalgam separators by the end of 2003. Hopefully, this will repeat the Commission's mercury thermometer ordinance which led to statewide action, and then nationwide.

We owe a hearty congratulations to Board president Parrin Shah, all the Commissioners and to Debbie Raphael, Toxic Substances Reduction Coordinator.

The CDA came in and SUPPORTED the move. Why? Because the Commission was ready to sock them with a stiffer approach if they didn’t, such as disclosure of risks or even a ban.

If the CDA SUPPORTS mandating separators for S.F., why do they OPPOSE mandating separators for the state? I think it’s time that they be asked this question by a lawmaker or our coalition. An interesting point, two months ago the Connecticut Dental Association wrote its members saying they should install separators by July 1, 2003.

Two additional points:

1) If mercury is a hazardous waste the moment it comes out of the mouth, why is it going into the mouth in the first place? We know mercury is killing our fish and poisoning the water in the Bay -- it’s inconceivable that the only safe place for mercury is in a child’s mouth or a pregnant woman's body.

2) The CDA supports mercury amalgam separators in San Francisco, but opposes them at the Capitol. We are certainly going to make known the CDA’s inconsistent policy position. The only explanation we can think of is that the CDA has more political clout in Sacramento than in your city.