What is Stericycle?

Stericycle is a Medical Waste Incinerator and according to the Department of Air Quality’s website they are allowed to incinerate the following:

  • Non hazardous medical waste, including laboratory waste, glassware, and sharps.
  • Surgical specimens and tissues, animal tissues and carcasses, blood, and body fluids.
  • Infectious wastes from veterinaries, mortuaries, research, and industry.
  • Expired and unused pharmaceuticals and contraband.
  • Outdated consumer commodities, proprietary packaging, and records.
  • Recalled medical equipment and supplies.
  • Agriculture (APHIS) waste, and municipal solid wasted contaminated with infectious waste.
  • Other non hazardous waste approved by the Director that is appropriate for a medical waste incinerator.

The Utah State Plan establishes emissions limits for the following pollutants:

  • Particulate Matter (PM)
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
  • Hydrogen Chloride (HCl)
  • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Lead (Pb)
  • Cadmium (Cd)
  • Mercury (Hg)
  • Dioxins
  • Dibenzofurans (furans)

Physicians for a Healthy Environment spoke to us at our public meeting hosted in June of 2013 regarding the adverse health affects of the above toxins.  You can read the speeches from several doctors in Utah regarding how this affects our health and the health of our children.   Here is a copy of the Doctors Speeches.

Dr. Brian Moench also stated at our public meeting in July 2013 that Stericycle’s permit allows (per year)

300 lbs – Lead

912 lbs -°©‐ Chorine

18 lbs – Cadmium

60 lbs  – Mercury

1294 tons – Hydrogen Fluoride – one of the most toxic pollutants (but he hoped this was a typo in their permit)

On December 28, 2011 Stericycle failed their Dioxin & NOx stack test  Stack test results – see below. Notice their last stack test for Dioxins was 2006.  And their NOx in 2006 was right at 250 out of 250 without concerns they waited until 2011 to test again only to have it fail again and again.

Pollutant
Test
Frequency (years)
Test Date Results
Limit
PM
mg/dscm		 3 11/11/2009
11/08/2012
1/25/2013		 2
25
20		 34
34
34
CO
ppmdv		 3 11/11/2009
11/08/2012
1/25/2013
4/10/2013		 20
2
5
3		 40
40
40
40
HCL
ppmdv		 3 11/11/2009
11/08/2012
1/25/2013
4/10/2013		 6
0.03
143
5		 100
100
100
100
Dioxin/furan
ng/dscm		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
2/15/2012
1/25/2013		 2
616
2
6		 125
125
125
125
Dioxin/furan (TEQ)
ng/dscm		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
2/15/2012
1/25/2013		 0.1
11.7
0.1
0.3		 2.3
2.3
2.3
2.3
SO2
ppmdv		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
1/25/2013		 6
1
10		 55
55
55
NOx
ppmdv		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
9/13/2012
1/25/2013
4/10/2013		 250
336
438
122
177		 250
250
250
250
250
pb
mg/dscm		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
1/25/2013		 0.004
0.001
0.02		 1.2
1.2
1.2
Cd
mg/dscm		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
1/25/2013		 0.001
0.001
0.003		 0.16
0.16
0.16
Hg
mg/dscm		 5 10/18/2006
12/28/2011
1/25/2013		 0.004
0.04
0.005		 0.55
0.55
0.55

Timeline of events since the first failed test in 2011 until the DAQ issued the Notice of Violation May, 2013