'U' Medical Center to meet new standards for medical incinerator

With one of the largest incinerators in the state, the University Medical Center is now gathering information about how to meet new environmental standards approved by the federal government.

This past August, the Environmental Protection Agency passed the first-ever standards for regulating air emissions from incinerators burning medical waste.

"There have been no decisions about what we are doing," said Trixie Dietrich, manager of Medical Center Safety Building and Environment Management.

"Even to meet these relatively weak federal standards, they are going to have to put some additional controls on their current facility," said Tracey Easthope, environmental health director for the Ecology Center.

LSA junior Jeffrey Firestone, a member of the Jewish Environmental Awareness Project, said the University's incinerator currently fails to meet most of the new regulations.

"What does this mean in terms of what sorts of hazard it poses to the community?" Easthope asked. "That's difficult to say."

Firestone said autoclaving, or sterilizing using steam and pressure, is an alternative the University should consider.

"The (University's Medical Center) burns pretty much everything," Firestone said. "At this point, all they recycle is cardboard, and basically, everything else gets put in the incinerator."

Infectious and pathological waste needs to be sterilized for safety reasons, but the burning of some non-infectious materials releases toxins such as dioxins and mercury, Firestone said.

The term dioxin refers to a group of 75 chemicals classified as carcinogenic and harmful to the human immune system. Dioxin is a byproduct formed by the burning of chlorine in waste.

"The hospital has a responsibility not to cause any other illness. Yet, through incineration, they are setting themselves up for problems they may not realize until 20 years down the road," Firestone said.

Easthope also said burning waste can be hazardous to people's health.

"I think the University should consider alternatives to incineration for the infectious waste stream," Easthope said. "Incineration, I think, is an outdated and more pollutive technology than some of the others."

Easthope said the non-infectious waste stream needs to be separated from the infectious waste stream so that it can be recycled. She also said the University should commit to buying products manufactured without toxins in them.

"We're suggesting that a hospital look at their purchasing policies generally to see how they can start getting the toxins out of there," Easthope said. "Toxins in, toxins out - regardless of the back-end system you use."

Dietrich said the University Medical Center will make a decision based on all the information they have received about alternatives.

"There is no excuse for increasing exposure and environmental harm when other options are available - and available at a reasonable cost," Firestone said.

The Medical Center will keep environmental issues in mind when making the decision, Dietrich said.

"It would be acceptable, legally, to meet just the requirements, but it is unfortunate if Michigan does just what it can instead of becoming a leader in all medical practices," Firestone said.

04-02-98