Healthcare

Survey Participation Request Cover Letter [PDF 104 KB, 1 page]
The cover letter requests participation in a survey for approximately 480 hospitals in the region who may have participated in our Voluntary Audit Program and Compliance Initiative. The enclosed survey was approved by Headquarters through the Information Collection Request process. Our goal is to collect measurement information on the Audit Program and in some cases we are asking for more detailed cost savings and pollutant reduction information.
Download Survey: (word or wordperfect )

Nassau University Medical Center Settles Federal Hazardous Waste Case

"Hazardous wastes must be properly managed to protect those who work or live close to them," said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Kathleen C. Callahan. "EPA's 'cradle to grave' requirements for hazardous waste, which prescribe each step that needs to be
taken from generation to disposal, help ensure everyone's safety."

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to Conduct Environmental Checkups on All of Its NY/NJ Healthcare Facilities
"Our objective is to have every healthcare institution in New York and New Jersey meet EPA's regulations," said Ms. Callahan. "The self-audit program is a great way to enable the area's hospitals to effectively meet their environmental obligations to the communities they serve."

The approximately 500 hospitals in Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands) perform an invaluable service to the public. They, also, however, pose a major environmental and public health concern. First, they contribute to the presence of mercury, dioxin, and other persistent, bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) in the environment. Hospitals, in fact, are the fourth largest source of mercury discharged into the environment. They also generate a wide variety of hazardous waste, such as chemotherapy and antineoplastic chemicals, solvents, formaldehyde, photographic chemicals, radionuclides, and waste anesthetic gases. In addition, hospitals produce 2 million tons of solid waste, which is 1% of the total municipal solid waste in the U.S. Finally, significant violations have been found at hospitals related to air, water, hazardous waste, and toxic substances.

In response to these concerns, on December 27, 2002, EPA Region 2 sent a letter to all hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands, including Veterans Administration hospitals informing them of our intent to undertake a compliance/enforcement initiative in the healthcare sector. The purpose of this initiative is to:

1. Increase the compliance rate among medical facilities in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands;
2. Encourage medical facilities to develop and implement environmental management systems to ensure that they have adequate systems in place to maintain compliance;
3. Eliminate mercury-containing waste from the health care waste stream by 2005;
4. Cut the volume of all hospital waste in half by 2010; and
5. Identify and eliminate, if possible, the use and disposal of other hazardous chemicals such as PBTs.  

This purpose will be accomplished by successfully combining enforcement with compliance incentives and environmental assistance activities. By visiting this site, you have taken the first step to understanding and complying with the various environmental regulations that apply to your hospital.  It will also help you go "beyond" compliance by providing information on environmental auditing, pollution prevention and environmental management systems.  

Links to Other Relevant Sites