Summary of North Memorial Medical Center Site Visit

Site:	North Memorial Medical Center

	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 

North Memorial Medical Center Staff

Michael Burke, Director, Environmental Services

Jerry Fink, Regulated Waste Coordinator

Tony  Kaufenberg, Pharmacy Operations

Lola Stapel, Education

Jerry Pedlar, Director Property and Facilities North Memorial

Psihos and Associates Waste Consultants

Chris Psihos

Bill Kelsey

Paul Anderson

Alison Marwitz

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Tanya Maurice

Facts about North Memorial Medical Center:

518 beds

Over 5,000 employees

Level 1 trauma center and certified primary stroke center

Quantity of Waste (2006)

105 lbs chemo waste

6,403 lbs RCRA hazardous waste

5,660 lbs dual

94,637 lbs non-hazardous pharmaceutical 

To begin the site visit, staff from North Memorial 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 wastes 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 

North Memorial sorts pharmaceutical wastes at point of generation and
prevents sewering of any pharmaceuticals.  Pharmaceuticals that become
HWs when disposed are labeled with a black sticker which states
“SPECIAL DISPOSAL REQUIRED” by the pharmacy.  These drugs are also
stored in black bins when in the pharmacy.  On the patient floors, any
drug waste that is hazardous must be disposed of in a black hazardous
pharmaceutical waste container (or a black container with a biohazard
sticker if the hazardous pharmaceutical waste contains a sharp). 
Pharmaceutical products that become hazardous waste when disposed are
not sent to reverse distributors. 

North Memorial’s RCRA Challenges:

P-listed wastes

Training requirements 

