NETHERLANDS: AMALGAM SEPARATORS; SHREDDING EQUIPMENT The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/NOTIF. 96.105. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: NETHERLANDS. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2): 2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification can be indicated if different from above: 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Amalgam separators; Shredding equipment. 5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Order Governing Rules for Dental Practices, Amendment of the Establishment and Licensing Order in Respect of Environmental Management and Withdrawal of the Dumping Order - Surface Water Pollution Act - Dental Practices (Order Governing Dental Practices in Terms of Environmental Management), as well as Two Associated Ministerial Regulations: Regulation on Testing Methods for Amalgam Separators; and Regulation Governing Amalgam Separators Within Dental Practices in Terms of Environmental Management. 6. Description of content: Industrial water from a dental practice which contains amalgam shall pass through an amalgam separator before being carried away in sewers. Amalgam separators shall be accompanied by test certificates which show that their separating efficiency is at least 95 per cent. The test in question shall be carried out using a method laid down in Ministerial regulations. A second regulation contains a list of types of approved separators which meet the required separating efficiency. Industrial waste water from a dental practice containing industrial waste which has been shredded by shredding or grinding equipment shall not be allowed to flow into sewers. 7. Objective and rationale: Amalgam is a harmful waste material and may only be collected by an authorized party. In order to reduce the pollution levels of sewer sludge, purification sludge and surface water, it is necessary to install one or more amalgam separators. The requirement to install an amalgam separator will cut down the mercury content in dumped waste. In this way a manageable amount of amalgam waste becomes available for collection, processing and possible re-use. A general principle in environmental policy is that waste which can be or remain separated shall not be mixed with (industrial) waste water which ends up in the sewers. This is why the Order stipulates that industrial waste water containing industrial waste which has been shredded or ground by shredding or grinding equipment or which contains industrial waste which could be prevented from ending up in industrial water, shall not be introduced into sewers. 8. Relevant documents: (a) Dumping Order - Surface Water Pollution Act concerning Dental Practices (Order to be withdrawn); (b) the Environmental Management Act and the Surface Water Pollution Act; (c) the Waste Water Act (in which both Acts were amended). 9. Proposed date of adoption: 1 July 1996. Proposed date of entry into force: 10. Final date for comments: 27 June 1996. (123)

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