What regulations apply to new and existing medical waste incinerators?
In 1997, EPA issued final guidelines and standards for medical waste incinerators. The guidelines are to be used by states to develop State Plans to reduce air pollution from existing medical waste incinerators (built on or before June 20, 1996). The standards create stringent air emissions limits that will be applied to new medical waste incinerators (built after June 20, 1996). EPA issued a final Federal Plan on August 15, 2000. This plan will affect existing medical waste incinerators in states that do not have an approved State Plan. EPA expects the new standards and guidelines to result in a dramatic change in medical waste disposal practices in the United States. Because of the increased cost of on-site incineration under the final rules, few health care facilities are likely to install new medical waste incinerators and many facilities are likely to discontinue use of their existing medical waste incinerators. Instead, EPA expects many of these facilities will likely switch to o
