Sec. 27-44. Disposal of infectious, radioactive and hazardous waste.
A. The requirements of these regulations apply to any generator of biohazardous medical waste as defined under Arizona Administrative Code R18-13-1401, as it may be amended from time to time, with the exception of a household generator residing in a private, public, or semi-public residence who generates biohazardous medical waste in the administration of self care or the agent of the household generator who administers the medical care. This exemption does not apply to the facility in which a person resides if that facility is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
B. The following materials will not be accepted at any solid waste disposal facility:
1. Regulated hazardous waste;
2. Untreated biohazardous waste;
3. Radioactive waste;
4. Regulated liquid waste; and
5. Any other regulated waste without prior approval of the Director.
C. Biohazardous medical waste is any waste that is composed of, or has as a constituent, one of the following:
1. Cultures and stocks. Discarded cultures and stocks generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of a human being or animal or in any research relating to that diagnosis, treatment, immunization, or in the production or testing of bacteria.
2. Human blood and blood products. Discarded products and materials containing free-flowing blood or free-flowing blood components.
3. Human pathologic waste. Discarded organs and body parts removed during surgery.
4. Medical sharps. Discarded sharps used in animal or human patient care, medical research, or clinical laboratories. This includes hypodermic needles, syringes, pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles attached to tubing, broken and unbroken glassware and slides and cover slips.
5. Research animal waste. Animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals that have been infected with agents that produce, or may produce, human infection.
D. Treated biohazardous medical waste is considered to be biohazardous medical waste that has been treated and that meets the treatment standards of Arizona Administrative Code R18-13-1415. This waste may be acceptable at solid waste disposal facilities under the following conditions:
1. Prior approval for disposal, including approval of the treatment methodology, packaging and labeling, must be obtained from the Director.
2. Treatment methods and waste transportation must comply with all applicable standards set forth in Title 18, Article 14, Arizona Revised Statutes.
3. If an alternative treatment method is used, the method must be registered with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality pursuant to Arizona Administrative Code R18-13-1414 and the registration number provided prior to disposal.
E. Transporters may not deliver waste to a solid waste disposal facility that is prohibited under these regulations.
F. The transporter must notify the solid waste disposal facility when delivering loads that may contain biohazardous or other prohibited waste, and must identify the generator or generators of such waste. In addition to disposal fees, failure to notify the solid waste disposal facility prior to delivering and dumping these materials will result in the assessment of a fee sufficient to recover the City’s costs to properly handle these materials. This fee will be a minimum of $50.00.
G. When prohibited materials are received, the transporter and the generator, if known, will be contacted and given three hours to remove the prohibited material and any contaminated material. Contaminated loads may involve all or a portion of the load. The solid waste disposal facility superintendent, inspector, or their designee will determine the extent of contamination and how much of the load must be removed. If the transporter or generator fails to begin removal of the contaminated materials within three hours, a disposal company will be contacted to remove it. The City will bill the transporter or waste generator for all costs incurred.
H. Failure to pay disposal charges will result in a suspension of disposal privileges until those charges are paid.
I. Disposal site privileges may be suspended for those transporters or generators found to have more than four contaminated loads delivered to a solid waste disposal facility within a 12-month period. (Ord. No. G-4623, § 1, 2004; Ord. No. G-5756, 2012; Ord. No. G-5920, 2014)