Medical waste - Texas

The EPA has not had regulatory authority over medical waste since the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 expired in 1991. Most states have since developed their own programs, resulting in significant differences for each state. A summary of this state’s requirements includes the following.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulates medical waste (30 TAC 326). The regulations cover:

• Subchapter A General information;
• Subchapter B Packaging, labeling, and shipping requirements;
• Subchapter C Exempt medical waste operations;
• Subchapter D Operations requiring a notification;
• Subchapter E Operations requiring a registration by rule;
• Subchapter F Operations requiring a registration; and
• Subchapter G Fees and Reporting.

The Texas Department of State Health Services also regulates healthcare-related medical waste (25 TAC K). The regulations cover:

• 1.32 Definitions;
• 1.33 Scope, covering exemptions and minimum parametric standards for waste treatment technologies previously approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services;
• 1.134 Application;
• 1.135 Performance standards for commercially available alternate treatment technologies for special waste from healthcare-related facilities; and
• 1.136 Approved methods of treatment and disposition.

Related information

• Medical waste RegSense

Citations

• Federal regulation 40 CFR Part 261
• Federal regulation 40 CFR Part 262
• Federal regulation 29 CFR 1910.1030
• Federal Regulation 49 CFR Subchapter C
• Texas Administrative Code Chapter 30-326
• Texas Administrative Code Subchapter 25-K