Medical Wastes

Do You Need A Permit?

What Regulations Apply to You?

Medical Service Industry

(Hospitals, Clinics, Nursing/Funeral Homes, and Veterinary Businesses)

If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you either need to have a permit or there are state environmental regulatory requirements that apply to your business. Some federal requirements are also listed below. To request assistance or ask for more information, you can call the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) phone number listed in the heading of each section, or if you would like a confidential consultation, you can call personnel in the DEQ's Office of Outreach & Environmental Assistance at (307) 777-7937. If you would like to make sure you are complying with all other state agencies' requirements, you can contact the state's Business Permit Coordinator in the Department of Commerce, Division of Economic & Community Development at 307-777-6433.

*Yes No**
		Land Quality Division (307) 777-7756 Good news! You are not a mining or exploration operation so you do not need a permit.

		Industrial Siting Division (307) 777-7369 Good news! As long as you are not spending $130 million on a new facility, you do not need a permit.

		Water Quality Division (WQD) (307) 777-7781
____	____	Do you have an underground storage tank 110 gallons or larger which holds a petroleum product (gasoline, diesel, etc) or a CERCLA hazardous substance? If you do, you need to register the tanks, pay tank fees, do a one-time minimum site assessment, and comply with the associated regulations.
____	____	Do you have a septic system and leach field for your facility's restrooms? If you do, you need a permit from WQD or the county depending on which agency has jurisdiction.
		Note: If wastes from floor cleaning, etc. drain to a floor sump connected to a municipal water and sewer system, you do not need a permit from WQD, but you should call your water/sewer provider about compliance with the waste water treatment operator's industrial pre-treatment and cross connection prevention programs.

		Air Quality Division (AQD) (307) 777-7391
		NOTE: In September of 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued national regulations to control air emissions from incinerators which combust any hospital waste or medical/infectious waste. However, any pathological, low-level radioactive, or chemotherapeutic wastes may be exempt from the air emission standards when they are combusted in an incinerator solely by themselves and approval has been obtained from the AQD Administrator. For each facility owner/operator who plans to utilize its existing incinerator, they must: (1) be in compliance with these regulations and (2) submit a Title V air quality permit application to the AQD by March 15, 2000. All new incinerators must obtain a New Source Review and Title V permit prior to construction of the combustion unit.
____	____	Do you operate an incinerator which combusts 10 percent or more of hospital waste and medical waste (by weight) on a calendar quarter basis? If so, the above federal regulations require: (1)compliance testing for various air pollutants emitted to the atmosphere; (2) maintaining records on the operation of the incinerator; and (3) training of employees on the operation of the incinerator. The AQD can provide you with assistance and explain the specifics of these regulations, and they your questions.
____	____	Do you have propane storage of 10,000 pounds or more? If so, you are required under Section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments to submit a Risk Management Plan (RMP) to EPA by June 20, 1999. For more information, contact EPA - Region VIII in Denver at 1-800-227-8917. It is recommended that you coordinate the development of the RMP with your Local Emergency Response Committee (LEPC).

		Solid & Hazardous Waste Division (SHWD) (307) 777-7752
____	____	Are you removing an underground or aboveground storage tank? These tanks must be managed as a solid waste, and they must be properly handled by the appropriate permitted facililty (decommissioning facility for the tanks).
____	____	Do you generate any infectious waste? If so, recommended waste management practices should include: (1) collection and segregation of waste from general refuse; (2) rendering body parts unrecognizable; (3) placing wastes in "red bags" for proper identification and safely; (4) placing and identifying sharps in rigid, puncture proof containers; (5) storing waste in a proper manner; and (6) obtaining authority from local wasterwater authority to discharge liquid waste to the sewer system.
____	____	Do you transport or dispose of infectious waste at a sanitary landfill? If so, recommended practices should include: (1) treating waste by incineration, autoclaving or other sterilization methods prior to disposal; (2) contacting local refuse collection and landfill authority to alert them to the infectious wastes; (3) contacting the Wyoming Division of Health and Medical Services at 307-777-7121 and the Wyoming Department of Transportation at 307-777-4375 for their regulatory requirements.
		(*NOTE:* A recommended alternative to disposal of infectious waste at landfills is for small medical facilities and local hospitals to work together to develop responsible and safe waste management practices and use the services of commercial infectious waste management companies.)
____	____	Do you generate less than 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of hazardous waste (formaldehyde, xylene, acetone, mercury containing wastes, fluorescent light bulbs, etc) or 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of extremely hazardous wastes (epinephrine) per month? If so, you may be considered a conditionally exempt small quantity generator, and you must comply with record keeping and reporting requirements.
____	____	Is the monthly amount of generated hazardous waste greater than 220 pounds or 2.2 pounds of extremely hazardous waste? If so, your facility is more stringently regulated, and you need to contact the SHWD for futher information.
____	____	Do you manifest your hazardous waste for shipment to a disposal facility? All hazardous waste must be manifested. The paperwork must be properly filled out with the applicable signatures of the generator, transporter and disposer. You must keep the manifest on-site for a minimum of three years.

* Are you unhappy with the number of "yes" answers? If you would like to change some "yes's" to "no's", consider asking about pollution prevention (P²) possibilities. P² solutions can save money and reduce your regulatory burden! Call the Pollution Prevention Program Coordinator at (307)777-6105 and ask for medical related waste reduction case studies that show substantial cost savings. You can also request the booklet, "Hazardous Waste Basic Training for Generators". This publication provides general P² information and additional information on identifying hazardous wastes and determining your generator category.