Posted on 06/30/2009 2:32:09 AM PDT by Evil Slayer
Contaminated needles and scalpels, bloodied bandages, body parts, unused prescription drugs, soiled hospital garments, radioactive waste and refuse tainted with infectious disease: These are only a few items that may be discarded on a curbside, abandoned in a nearby lake or piled in a dumpster headed for the local landfill.
Some say Americans are simply oblivious to the imminent risk of major hazards and contagions spreading throughout their communities at any given time.
Former Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., grew concerned about medical waste hauling after Sept. 11. He told WND that 15 years ago, the nation's hospitals incinerated much of the infectious waste on site. However, the Environmental Protection Agency mandated strict guidelines for incinerators after concerns about air pollution, forcing most hospitals to hire truck drivers to haul medical waste away.
"What happened was that most hospitals and most doctors' offices started going off site because they had no other way of treating it on site," Pombo said. "So this industry was born that picked up medical waste and took it to a centralized site. Those centralized sites are sometimes several hundred miles away from the doctor's office or the hospital where they're picking this stuff up."
Darrell Henry, executive director of the Healthcare Waste and Emergency Preparedness Coalition, expressed concerns about national safety when contagious medical waste that could be contaminated with hepatitis, tuberculosis, flu or even small pox is trucked across America's roadways.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
Dang, did you see the “contributing factor?” Air pollution. Who would have thought?
15 years ago would be 1994. The administration in control at that time should be credited with this unintended consequence.
Congress should require a set of hearings, chaired by congressional members not hosted and chaired by the agency in question before any US reglatory agency issues any hair brained regulation. And that should be a GOP platform position, not only in the national convention but apply to state partys as well.
For quick quips and quotes to rebut your favorite mush head check out http://www.theusmat.com/
No need to worry every year Obama is in office he sets America back fifty years we won’t have any roads by the time ie’s out of office but we will have a banana republic.
The simplest and safest solution was to burn this waste.
Thank You Envirowhacko’s
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