ABSTRACT
In 1988, beaches in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere on the Atlantic coast had to be closed because of pollution: among the evidence were hypodermic needles, syringes, blood bags, and other repulsive medical waste. Not surprisingly, public alarm was immediate. The alarm was increased in the localities affected by the temporary solution of closing the beaches, where the impact on local economies was sometimes severe. Further political response quickly followed. Several states passed or debated legislation; EPA established a task force to consider the problem; and Congress held hearings that led to the passing of the Medical Waste Tracking Act in the same year. This legislation amended the earlier Solid Waste Disposal Act. The term ‘medical waste’ included such items as cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated waste; human blood and blood products; syringes, needles, and surgical blades; laboratory wastes; dialysis wastes; and discarded medical equipment. Facilities generating these and other types of medical waste were required to package and label waste prior to sending them to any treatment or disposal facility. The legislation did not only concern hospitals. Other medical facilities including physician offices, dental practices, and veterinary hospitals were also subject to the legislation.
