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Salt Lake City Weekly 6/23/04 For more information, contact:
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Hot and Bothered By Jamie Gadette Stericycle sparks debate over medical waste disposal. Most towns feature such standard cultural attractions as a theater, museum or even a revamped capitol rotunda. Only one town, however, boasts its very own Stericycle. This isn’t a recycling plant or a refreshing spa resort, but the nation’s largest medical waste facility using incineration to eliminate hospital byproducts. Stericycle, whose headquarters are based in Illinois, is located in the heart of North Salt Lake, across the street from a youth treatment facility. But local residents aren’t proud of their rare incinerator. In fact, many don’t know it even exists. Those aware of its purpose are hoping to extinguish what they believe is a hazardous flame. Opponents aren’t aiming to put Stericycle out of business. They understand the difficulty in condemning a company that, by all appearances, is in compliance with Utah law. Stericycle has only received two fines since its 1999 takeover of BFI, and both were paid on time. Wasatch Clean Air Coalition’s Kathy Van Dame admits that while no evidence labels the company as a perpetual offender, she does not support its continued use of outdated technologies. “I don’t have any reason to believe what they’re doing is illegal,” she said. “But what they’re doing is wrong.” Such reasoning may not factor in when Stericycle applies to renew its solid and hazardous waste permit this summer. It’s unlikely the state will haggle over questionable ethics. Medical waste needs to be eliminated, and for years, incineration was the preferred method. But in the late ’80s, a growing body of scientific information presented a link between incineration and the release of toxic emissions. Public outrage forced the Environmental Protection Agency to institute tighter regulations, which effectively shut down numerous incinerators across the country. Unable to meet the high cost of strict enforcement, companies began utilizing safer technologies like autoclaving, a process of steam sterilization that renders products reusable or recyclable. Stericycle closed several burn-plants, a move that sent hospitals scrambling for a place to ditch excess waste. Utah picked up the slack, and began accepting medical-waste leftovers from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. It’s not clear why Utah volunteered its land as a burning ground. But with the state’s lax regulations and scant enforcement (Sierra Club’s Cindy King reported that last year’s inspection by a state zoning agency was conducted over the phone), it’s obvious why Stericycle opted to settle down here. North Salt Lake residents Melou Cline and Alison Regan are outraged by the overflow of toxic emissions. Neither were told about the incinerator when they moved nearby. Cline, who has lived in the area since 1996, learned about Stericycle after meeting with environmental watchdogs. Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Green Action for Health and Environmental Justice, an organization committed to protecting community interests, contacted Cline via e-mail. He had been aware of the issue for quite some time but didn’t want to go public until residents were given proper notice. A stay-at-home mom with a vested interest in her community, Cline felt compelled to further the anti-burn campaign. She recruited Regan, and since then, the two have devoted hours to research. They pored through contracts and permit documents, gathered a petition of more than 200 signatures and phoned state and county officials in hopes of achieving some progress. “We don’t have to burn here,” Cline said, referring to Utah’s policy on incineration, which does not mandate burning as a method for eliminating medical waste. In April, Stericycle invited Regan, Cline, Angel and King to tour the facility. While designed to quell fears, the visit only raised additional concerns. According to Cline, as the group stood outside the facility, they witnessed an alleged oversight. A loose tarp covering a bin full of bottom ash (residue from pollution control equipment) was released by a gust of wind, leaving the waste temporarily exposed. “ They told us that the ash was always covered,” Angel said. “If that happens on days when they know Green Action and members of the community are around, what happens when they know nobody is around?” Pat Altenberger, district manager for Stericycle, claims the company does all it can to accommodate environmental concerns. “Anything that can be autoclaved is directed to our facilities in Colorado and California,” he said. “Certain items must be incinerated. Pathological waste and pharmaceutical waste require incineration.” Angel claims that’s a bold-faced lie. “It is completely and totally false,” he said. “Utah law requires that zero waste be burned.” Cline hopes to circumvent ignorance by convincing the county to hold an official public hearing. A June 1 council meeting marked the first time residents, county officials and Stericycle employees gathered to discuss the matter, but little progress was made. “ They should be informing the community,” Cline said. “This used to be an industrial city, but things have changed. People and incinerators don’t mix.” |