ABSTRACT
Various regulations, guidelines, and standards affect the management of infectious and medical wastes. Regulations are issued by governments at the federal, state, and local levels. Under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate the management and disposal of infectious wastes as hazardous waste. Instead of regulating infectious waste disposal, EPA issued a guidance manual on infectious waste management in 1982. The disposal of many chemical wastes is regulated by the EPA under RCRA. RCRA regulations impose stringent requirements on the management of hazardous chemical wastes using a cradle-to-grave approach that regulates the storage, transport, treatment, and disposal of these wastes. The management of wastes with multiple hazards has been more difficult because of jurisdictional disputes among the regulatory agencies. State regulations for the management of other medical wastes must be at least as stringent as the comparable federal regulations. The most EPA guidelines were published in 1986 as "EPA Guide for Infectious Waste Management."
