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CED-79-73 1 (1979-04-05)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaayxg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 

                  UNITED STATES GZIERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548


COMMUNITY ANO ECONOMIC
0CVILO1P M ENT DIVISION
                                                 APRIL 5, 1979

     B-166506



     The Honorable Douglas M. Costle
     Administrator, Environmental                       109014
        Protection Agency                               1 0079

     Dear Mr. Costle:3

          The General Accounting Office, as part of its Qontinuing
 7assessment of hazardous waste issuesjAhas been reviewing dis-
     posal           for infectlous wastes at hospitals, labor-
     atories, and veterinary establishments/ However, in view of
     the Environmental Protection Agency's recent request for
     comments on proposed hazardous waste regulations, including
     infectious wastes, and the recent contract award to Enviro
     Control, Inc. to evaluate the treatment, storage, and dis-
     posal methods used for infectious wastes, we have decided to
     terminate our review and report the findings developed to
     date.
  o      Based on the information obtained during this review,
     wa-44-e.xe the proposed definition of infectious waste could
     result in government over-regulation. As proposed, much
     waste will be treated as hazardous even though it does not
     pose a significant health hazard to those who might acci-
     dently come into contact with it. In addition, existing
     disposal practices for infectious wastes appear adequate and
     compliance with the proposed changes in the new regulation
     will be unnecessarily costly and burdensome for health care
     facilities.

          ' -oli.-.. EPA should revise the proposed infectious
     waste definition to include only those wastes which, if not
     properly managed, could result in increased morbidity or
     mortality. In addition, EPA should consider requiring
     sterilization of such wastes at the site of generation.




                                                         CED-79-73
                                          q              (08903)

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