You thought there was a limit to how far the EPA would stretch its tentacles? Think again. A newly proposed regulation means dental offices around the country are slated to become the agency’s next victim. According to the EPA, “When dentists remove old amalgam fillings from cavities, or when dentists place a new filling, mercury in the form of dental amalgam enters the wastewater of the dental office.” That’s apparently enough to justify further restrictions. The Blaze reports the regulation “would require all dentists to install amalgam separators or other technology to capture the material before it’s released into the environment.” Ken Kopocis, an EPA official, echoed a familiar tone by asserting the proposal is simply “a common sense rule that calls for capturing mercury at a relatively low cost.” Any initiative policy makers seek to enact without debate is deemed “common sense” (gun control, anyone?). And how many times can we say an EPA regulation came in at a “relatively low cost”? Mercury is unquestionably dangerous, but officials don’t offer specific examples as to how this dental practice is harming humans or the environment. It’s the consumer and the economy that get hit the hardest, but the EPA wants to force-feed you regardless. More…