Medical waste - Vermont

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 Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) oversees regulated medical waste. The Code of Vermont Rules addresses regulated medical waste (12 CVR 036-003). The regulations cover:

• 6-201 Definitions of regulated medical waste,
• 6-302(a)(15) Exemption,
• 6-304(h) Prohibitions, and
• 6-1005(d)(4) Landfill material-specific operational requirements.

The Vermont DEC lists the current regulated medical waste rules in Procedure Addressing Regulated Medical Waste Definitions and the Handling and Treatment of Regulated Medical Waste. The rules cover:

• Section 1 Applicability;
• Section 2 Definitions;
• Section 3 Regulated medical waste handling, treatment, and disposal;
• Section 4 Regulated medical waste generators with on-site treatment and/or serving as consolidation points;
• Section 5 Regulated medical waste transfer facility certification; and
• Section 6 Regulated medical waste treatment facility certification.

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
• Procedure Addressing Regulated Medical Waste Definitions and the Handling and Treatment of Regulated Medical Waste (Under the “Regulated Medical Waste (non-residential)” section)
• Code of Vermont Rules Chapter 12-036-003