Pollution Prevention Partnership with Dentists

ENVIRONMENT--Pollution Prevention Partnership with Dentists

• ---------------------------------------------------------------The Nova Scotia Department of the Environment and the province's dental association have struck a partnership for pollution prevention.

A memorandum of understanding signed this week outlines the partnership program, a joint effort to establish pollution prevention initiatives in Nova Scotia's dental offices.

"Pollution prevention is really based on understanding how the activities in our daily lives affect the environment and trying to minimize these effects," said Brent Baxter, head of pollution prevention for the Environment Department. "This partnership will look at the potential impact on the environment of dental waste, and also look for ways to conserve materials and energy and generally avoid waste."

"While Nova Scotia's dentists take pride in the level of environmental awareness in their offices, there's always more that can be done," said Dr. Eric Hatfield, president of the Nova Scotia Dental Association. "Through this voluntary partnership, we will identify concerns and prioritize them for action. An advisory committee will soon get to work looking at the principles of pollution prevention, and how we can better incorporate them into the regular activities of members of the Nova Scotia Dental Association."

The advisory team representing dentists and the Environment Department will look for ways to:

• reduce or eliminate emissions of potentially polluting substances
• encourage and support new practices, materials and equipment that address environmental concerns
• reduce the use of resources through on-site conservation and efficiency
• identify environmental concerns and establish pollution prevention plans to resolve those concerns

The advisory committee will also distribute educational materials on pollution prevention and dental waste.

An interim progress report detailing the activities and plans for pollution prevention initiatives and monitoring will be completed within the first year of the partnership.