Costa Mesa Leads the Way on Banning Dental Mercury in the US

Marisa Russo - Californians for Green Dentistry, Charlie Brown, Consumers for Dental Choice, Washington, DC, and Anita Tibau, Kelly Gallagher and Kristy Mills - Californians for Green Dentistry

On July 29, 2010, Californians for Green Dentistry launched an initiative to ban dental mercury, creating mercury-free dental zones in California. This project came a year and a day after FDA announced a mercury regulation that failed to ensure that consumers would be informed of amalgam's mercury content, and does nothing to protect children and the unborn, even though FDA admits that these populations may be particularly susceptible to neurological damage from mercury exposure.

The pilot project was the city of Costa Mesa, a forward-thinking city of 113,000+ residents in Orange County.

Last night, Costa Mesa City Council unanimously (5-0) passed the Monahan Resolution, appropriately named for Councilman Gary Monahan, who has an autistic son, and realizes first-hand the deleterious impact mercury has on health and the environment. It is the first of it's kind in the US.

Here's a copy of the Monahan Resolution:

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RESOLUTION NO.10-

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
OPPOSING THE USE OF DENTAL MERCURY

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA HEREBY RESOLVES
AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, Dental Amalgam contains about 50% mercury; and

WHEREAS, the State of California recognizes in Proposition 65 that “Dental
Amalgam causes exposure to mercury, a chemical know to the State of
California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm” and the State
recognizes in the Watson Law that “mercury may harm the developing brain of a
child or fetus,”; and

WHEREAS, Amalgam is the second-largest selling mercury product in the United
States where more mercury resides in human teeth than in all other mercury
products combined; and

WHEREAS, the mercury from dental fillings pollutes our water via dental clinic
releases and household waste; and

WHEREAS, the mercury from dental fillings pollutes our air via cremation, clinic
emissions and sludge incineration; and

WHEREAS, the mercury from dental fillings pollutes our land via landfills, burials
and fertilizer; and

WHEREAS, Amalgam is by far the greatest contributor of mercury to wastewater;
and

WHEREAS, Amalgam, once in the environment, converts to methylmercury and
contaminates the fish we eat; and

WHEREAS, the environmental health effects of mercury are well established –
according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – mercury in the
environment can cause neurological damage, especially to the developing brains
and nervous systems of children and fetuses; and

WHEREAS, dental workers, mostly females of childbearing age, are often
exposed to mercury in their work environments; and

WHEREAS, many dental consumers, deceived by the term “silver fillings,” are
unaware of Amalgam’s mercury content and its resulting environmental impact;
and

WHEREAS, interchangeable, modern alternatives to Amalgam exist and are
readily available and widely in use.

BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council opposes the use of Dental Amalgam
and hereby requests that State and Federal agencies with the legal authority to
eliminate the use of mercury in dental practices take the necessary steps to
effect this needed change immediately and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby requests that all
dental practices located in Costa Mesa voluntarily cease use of Dental Amalgam
in advance of State and Federal action and switch to interchangeable, modern
alternative filling materials that are already widely in use and;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby directs that copies of
this resolution be disseminated to the City’s State and Federal representatives
and to the other 33 cities in Orange County with a request that they adopt similar
resolutions.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of October, 2010



________________________________
Allan R. Mansoor, Mayor



ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:



________________________ _______________________________
Julie Folcik, City Clerk Kimberly Hall Barlow, City Attorney




STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss
CITY OF COSTA MESA )


I, JULIE FOLCIK, City Clerk of the City of Costa Mesa, DO HEREBY
CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is the original of Resolution No. 10-__
and was duly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa
at a regular meeting held on the 19th day of October, 2010, by the following roll
call vote, to wit:

AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:

NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:

ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereby set my hand and affixed the seal
of the City of Costa Mesa this 20th day of October 2010.




_______________________________
JULIE FOLCIK, CITY CLERK





(SEAL)



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Californians for Green Dentistry is partnered with Consumers for Dental Choice, Washington, DC, the consumer organization focused exclusively on the goal of phasing out dental amalgam (mercury fillings), and lead by National Counsel, Charlie Brown.

Watch the council meeting video here:
http://costamesa.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1568

Join us on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Californians-for-Green-Dentistry-Non-Profit/106084399449156?ref=ts

Sign the petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/ban-dental-mercury/

Congratulations, Costa Mesa! You made history as the first US city to take a stand and officially oppose the use of dental mercury.

OC