Pallone Introduces Legislation to Regulate Medical Waste

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., introduced legislation today that would set a nationwide uniform tracking system for medical waste and would set standards for the handling, disposal and treatment of this waste.

The Medical Waste Management Act of 2009 ensures consistency within the law to discourage interstate dumping. It implements a cradle-to-grave tracking system for all forms of medical waste and addresses the issue of single source needle users.

In the summer of 1988, hundreds of beach-going days were lost due to medical waste dumping on the Jersey Shore. It was estimated that the New Jersey tourism industry lost $1 billion that summer. Medical waste continues to be a problem nationwide, from our coastal communities to any place waste generators choose to illegally dump.

Just last summer, the problem hit close to home once again when hundreds of intravenous needles, along with cotton swabs and pill casings, washed up on the shores of Avalon, Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Strathmere, New Jersey causing sections of these beaches to close for several days.

"As the summer season approaches, we must ensure we are doing everything to keep our lakes, rivers and shores clean and safe," Pallone said. "Medical waste poses a significant health risk to our beachgoers, pollutes our pristine waterways and threatens the tourism industry in our coastal communities. Medical waste is a nationwide problem that needs a nationwide solution. My legislation will ensure consistency and clarity within the law so we can put an end to interstate dumping."

"One of the most common forms of medical waste we find washing up on our beaches is personal use syringes," said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. "Congressman Pallone's bill is an important step in finding reasonable solutions, including increasing access to proper disposal methods. We applaud him for this effort."

The Medical Waste Management Act outlines specific requirements for generators, transporters and disposers of medical waste, including registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and appropriate compliance with labeling, packaging and storage requirements of the waste. The bill would lay out regulations to allow for smooth compliance for hospitals, health clinics, home source users and other medical waste generators.

Pallone also believes that strong civil and criminal enforcement is necessary to prevent medical waste dumping on our beaches. The bill grants the EPA with the authority to investigate these crimes and provides them with the necessary resources to take swift action.

Additional provisions in the bill include:

• Establishing a syringe disposal program to educate the public about acceptable methods for disposal of used syringes generated by individuals;
• Providing grants for state and local governments, non-profit organizations and private entities to increase access to disposal methods;
• Requiring an annual report to Congress on the state of medical waste management;
• Authorizing the EPA to approve state medical waste programs that are at least as rigorous as federal requirements to ensure national consistency and set minimum standards.