Legislative panel kills cadaver-fillings bill

AUGUSTA – A legislative committee has killed a bill aimed at removing mercury fillings from cadavers before they are cremated.

Lawmakers expressed discomfort at the thought of owners of crematoriums and funeral homes being forced to pry teeth from the mouths of the dead. But supporters urged the Natural Resources Committee to look at the benefits of eliminating an in-state source of mercury pollution from the environment.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Scott Cowger, D-Hallowell, said Maine’s five crematoriums emit about 40 pounds of toxic mercury each year. He suggested that the state require either the installation of costly equipment to cleanse crematorium emissions or removal of the fillings, which he said was a more practical solution.