RCRA - STORAGE/DISPOSAL > Details

Medical Waste Tracking Act - In the late 1980’s, Congress passed the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA). This legislation required the EPA to establish a two year program to define and track medical waste from cradle to grave in a manner similar to the way the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act tracks hazardous waste.

At the end of the two year period the EPA reviewed the amount and type of waste generated, tracked and disposed of. They also assessed the potential hazards of the wastes involved. In the end the EPA concluded that the waste was most hazardous at its point of generation and the hazard was lessened as the waste moved downstream in the system to transportation and ultimate disposal. The conclusion was that medical waste did not pose a high degree of risk to the general public, but was more an occupational risk to those that generated, transported and disposed of the waste and that it would be more effectively regulated by other federal agencies and at the local level.

Other agencies that regulate aspects of medical waste hazards include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the US Postal Service (USPS). For additional information on the regulations of other agencies that may apply to medical waste you can visit their respective websites at:

• Department of Transportation HAZMAT (DOTRSPA)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
• US Postal Service (USPS)

Individual states and local agencies should be consulted to review the requirements for medical waste disposal in your state. A link to state environmental regulatory agencies is provided at the EPA website at State Laws & Regulations.

Medical Waste Incinerators - The EPA does regulate Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI). In 1997 the EPA issued Emission Guidelines for HMIWIs under the New Source Performance Standards program of the Clean Air Act. Emission limits and operating requirements for incinerators were established. A full description of the requirement for HMIWIs is provided in the Medical Incinerators section of the EVC.

For more information on the EPAs role in medical waste and links to other sources of information you can go to http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/medical/.