San Jose Mercury News

Thursday, November 1st, 2001

For more information, contact:

Sue Chiang Greenaction

(415) 248-5010

Oakland firm to pay the state $925,000

Officials had found 1,470 barrels stored longer than allowed by law

BY MARIAN LIU
Mercury News

Integrated Environmental Systems, one of California's 11 medical waste treatment facilities, has agreed to pay $925,000 to settle alleged violations of state law. In May, state officials found 1,470 barrels of medical waste in the Oakland facility that had been stored longer than was allowed under the California Medical Waste Management Act, which prohibits medical waste treatment facilities from storing hazardous waste above 32 degrees for more than seven days.

``We had issued some enforcement actions,'' said Lea Brooks, a spokeswoman for the state health department. The company's license was suspended June 13. After eliminating the backlog in July, the state issued a 90-day permit to resume burning waste.

``The payment shows that the company is taking responsibility for the issues the state has raised,'' said company spokesman Jay Silverberg. ``Since the violation, the company has instituted new management, planning procedures, and training for procedures.''

In August, the company pledged to cut down the amount of medical waste incinerated by 70 percent during the following six months.

Currently, the company can burn 1,000 pounds of medical waste an hour in each of its two incinerators and an additional 550 to 900 pounds an hour in a microwave unit.

Each year, about 10 million to 12 million pounds of medical waste is sent to the company, which incinerates 80 percent of the material. The medical waste can include bandages, syringes, gloves, laboratory waste, body organs, scalpels, needles and syringes.

But environmental groups worry that by incinerating the waste, cancer-causing dioxins are released into the air. Healthcare Without Harm, an international advocacy organization, reports that 25 percent of disposable plastics used in health care contain polyvinyl chloride that releases these dioxins when burned. Silverberg said the levels of emission are far below the levels allowed by state law.

Sue Chiang, a community health advocate from the Greenaction organization, said she would prefer the company switch to a safer alternative than incineration.

``We will keep pressure on the company, whatever it takes,'' Chiang said. Greenaction is planning a protest in front of the Oakland facility Wednesday evening.