§6992a Listing of Medical Wastes

Summary

Within 6 months after November 1, 1988, the Administrator must write rules that list the kinds of medical waste to be tracked in the demonstration program. The list must cover things like cultures and stocks of infectious agents (including lab cultures and discarded live vaccines); removed human tissues and organs; human blood and blood products; used sharps (needles, syringes, broken glass, scalpel blades); contaminated animal carcasses and bedding from exposed animals; surgery or autopsy wastes that touched infectious agents (soiled dressings, gloves, etc.); lab wastes that touched infectious agents (slides, disposable gloves, coats); dialysis items that contacted patient blood; discarded medical equipment that contacted infectious agents; materials contaminated with blood or body fluids from isolated persons or animals; and other medical-care wastes the Administrator finds a threat to people or the environment. The Administrator may remove any categories listed in paragraphs (6) through (10) of subsection (a) if he finds they do not pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.