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104 KB, 1 page] 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 U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to Conduct Environmental Checkups
on All of Its NY/NJ Healthcare Facilities 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:
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. |
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Compliance Assistance Hotline: (212) 637-4050
For information about this page, contact: buxbaum.diane@epa.gov