EPA Region V 

 EPA Region V map

Hospital/Medical/Infectious
Waste Incineration 
in Region 5
Ambulance Smoke stacks

     On September 15, 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final standards and guidelines to reduce air pollution from incinerators that are used to burn hospital waste and/or medical/infectious waste [which will be abbreviated here as Medical Waste Incinerators (MWI)].  The standards and guidelines were required by Section 129 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and will apply to incinerators used by hospitals and health care facilities, as well as to incinerators used by commercial waste disposal companies to burn hospital waste and/or medical/infectious waste.  Specifically, EPA: 

 BallIssued stringent final air emission guidelines for use by States in developing State plans to reduce air pollution from "existing" MWIs (those built on or before June 20, 1996). 
 BallIssued stringent final air emission standards to reduce air pollution from "new" MWIs (those built after June 20, 1996). 

     When burned, hospital waste and medical/infectious waste emit various air pollutants, including hydrochloric acid, dioxin/furan, and toxic metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury).  EPA's air emission standards and guidelines will reduce air emissions from MWIs by 75 to 98 percent from current levels. 

     These regulations will substantially reduce emissions in highly populated urban areas, as well as in more rural areas.  Additionally, the regulations will provide some flexibility for small rural community hospitals to help them reduce emissions in a way that is affordable. 

HOW WILL THIS ACTION AFFECT MEDICAL WASTE DISPOSAL PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES?   

     EPA expects the final standards and guidelines to result in a dramatic change in medical waste disposal practices in the United States.  Because of the increased cost of on-site incineration under the final rules, few health care facilities are likely to install new MWIs and many health care facilities are likely to discontinue use of their existing MWIs. 

     Instead, they are likely to switch to other methods of waste disposal such as off-site commercial waste disposal or on-site disinfection technologies. 

     As a result of many facilities switching to other methods of waste disposal, EPA expects the standards to apply to between 10 and 70 new MWIs by the year 2002.  EPA expects the guidelines to result in the discontinued use of as many as 50 to 80 percent of the almost 2,400 existing MWIs in the country. 

 
Send comments or questions regarding this information to: 
Bahr.Ryan@epamail.epa.gov Regulation Development Section
 

December 19, 1997 Original URL: http://www/epa/gov/ARD-R5/mwi/mwi.htm