Summary of Abbott Northwestern Hospital Site Visit

Site:	Abbott Northwestern Hospital

	Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: 		June 27, 2006

Purpose:	To learn about the generation and management of RCRA hazardous
waste in hospitals and their laboratories

Attendees:

U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste

Jessica Biegelson

Lisa Lauer

PharmEcology Associates

Charlotte Smith, President 

Abbott Northwestern Hospital Staff

Steven Waderich, Manager, Safety Dept., Hazardous Materials and Waste
Program 

Steven Kastendieck, Pharmacy Operations Manager

Facts about Abbott Northwestern Hospital:

621 beds

Over 5,000 employees

Largest not-for-profit hospital in Twin Cities

3.1 million Lab Tests performed annually

RCRA Small Quantity Generator

Quantity of Waste (2005) - $250,000

12, 956 lbs Hazardous (RCRA, MN lethal, and dual)  

24,373 lbs Non-hazardous 

3,772 lbs trash

Quantity of Waste (2006) - $400,000

34,500 lbs Hazardous (RCRA, MN lethal, and dual)  

60,522 lbs Non-hazardous

18,500 lbs trash

To begin the site visit, staff from Abbott Northwestern Hospital
presented general overview information about their hospital.  We
discussed their current waste practices within the different departments
of the hospital especially their new methods of separating RCRA
hazardous waste from other types of medical waste, DEA controlled
substances, chemotherapy waste (MN has a lethality characteristic;
therefore, chemo drugs in MN are considered hazardous wastes).  We also
talked briefly about what types of labs the hospital has and what lab
waste the hospital generates.  

Then we took a tour of the hospital, visiting five areas:

Pharmacy

Chemotherapy preparation area

Representative nursing units

Waste management areas

Laboratory 

Abott Northwestern considers all pharmaceutical wastes are hazardous
until sorted (dual wastes are not sorted; staff are instructed to
dispose of sharps into black containers). Black containers are
transported to a storage room where a contractor sorts the waste.

Abbott Northwestern’s RCRA Challenges:

Documentation of training

Change in generator status for managing P-listed wastes

