(A) Infectious wastes shall be segregated, managed, treated, and disposed of in accordance with rules adopted under this section.

(B) The director of environmental protection, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules necessary or appropriate to protect human health or safety or the environment that do both of the following:

(1) Establish standards for generators of infectious wastes that include, without limitation, the following requirements and authorizations that:

(a) All generators of infectious wastes:

(i) Either treat all specimen cultures and cultures of viable infectious agents on the premises where they are generated to render them noninfectious by methods, techniques, or practices prescribed by rules adopted under division (B)(2)(a) of this section before they are transported off that premises for disposal or ensure that such wastes are treated to render them noninfectious at an infectious waste treatment facility off that premises prior to disposal of the wastes;

(ii) Transport and dispose of infectious wastes, if a generator produces fewer than fifty pounds of infectious wastes during any one month that are subject to and packaged and labeled in accordance with federal requirements, in the same manner as solid wastes. Such generators who treat specimen cultures and cultures of viable infectious agents on the premises where they are generated shall not be considered treatment facilities as "treatment" and "facility" are defined in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code.

(iii) Dispose of infectious wastes subject to and treated in accordance with rules adopted under division (B)(1)(a)(i) of this section in the same manner as solid wastes;

(iv) May take wastes generated in providing care to a patient by an emergency medical services organization, as defined in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code, to and leave them at a hospital, as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code, for treatment at a treatment facility owned or operated by the hospital or, in conjunction with infectious wastes generated by the hospital, at another treatment facility regardless of whether the wastes were generated in providing care to the patient at the scene of an emergency or during the transportation of the patient to a hospital;

(v) May take wastes generated by an individual for purposes of the individual's own care or treatment to and leave them at a hospital, as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code, for treatment at a treatment facility owned or operated by the hospital or, in conjunction with infectious wastes generated by the hospital, at another treatment facility.

(b) Each generator of fifty pounds or more of infectious wastes during any one month:

(i) Register with the environmental protection agency as a generator of infectious wastes and obtain a registration certificate. The fee for issuance of a generator registration certificate is one hundred forty dollars payable at the time of application. The registration certificate applies to all the premises owned or operated by the generator in this state where infectious wastes are generated and shall list the address of each such premises. If a generator owns or operates facilities for the treatment of infectious wastes it generates, the certificate shall list the address and method of treatment used at each such facility.

A generator registration certificate is valid for three years from the date of issuance and shall be renewed for a term of three years upon the generator's submission of an application for renewal and payment of a one hundred forty dollar renewal fee.

The rules may establish a system of staggered renewal dates with approximately one-third of such certificates subject to renewal each year. The applicable renewal date shall be prescribed on each registration certificate. Registration fees shall be prorated according to the time remaining in the registration cycle to the nearest year.

The registration and renewal fees collected under division (B)(1)(b)(i) of this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the waste management fund created in section 3734.061 of the Revised Code.

(ii) Segregate infectious wastes from other wastes at the point of generation. Nothing in this section and rules adopted under it prohibits a generator of infectious wastes from designating and managing any wastes, in addition to those defined as infectious wastes under section 3734.01 of the Revised Code, as infectious wastes. After designating any such other wastes as infectious, the generator shall manage those wastes in compliance with the requirements of this chapter and rules adopted under it applicable to the management of infectious wastes.

(iii) Either treat the infectious wastes that it generates at a facility owned or operated by the generator by methods, techniques, or practices prescribed by rules adopted under division (B)(2)(a) of this section to render them noninfectious, or designate the wastes for treatment off that premises at an infectious waste treatment facility holding a license issued under division (B) of section 3734.05 of the Revised Code, at an infectious waste treatment facility that is located in another state that is in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, or at a treatment facility authorized by rules adopted under division (B)(2)(d) of this section, prior to disposal of the wastes. After being treated to render them noninfectious, the wastes shall be disposed of at a solid waste disposal facility holding a license issued under division (A) of section 3734.05 of the Revised Code or at a disposal facility in another state that is in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.

(iv) Not compact or grind any type of infectious wastes prior to treatment in accordance with rules adopted under division (B)(2)(a) of this section;

(v) May discharge untreated liquid or semiliquid infectious wastes consisting of blood, blood products, body fluids, and excreta into a disposal system, as defined in section 6111.01 of the Revised Code, unless the discharge of those wastes into a disposal system is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the permit for the system issued under Chapter 6111. of the Revised Code;

(vi) May transport or cause to be transported infectious wastes that have been treated to render them noninfectious in the same manner as solid wastes are transported.

(2) Establish standards for owners and operators of infectious waste treatment facilities that include, without limitation, the following requirements and authorizations that:

(a) Require treatment of all wastes received to be performed in accordance with methods, techniques, and practices approved by the director;

(b) Govern the location, design, construction, and operation of infectious waste treatment facilities. The rules adopted under division (B)(2)(b) of this section shall require that a new infectious waste incineration facility be located so that the incinerator unit and all areas where infectious wastes are handled on the premises where the facility is proposed to be located are at least three hundred feet inside the property line of the tract of land on which the facility is proposed to be located and are at least one thousand feet from any domicile, school, prison, or jail that is in existence on the date on which the application for the permit to establish the incinerator is submitted under division (B)(2)(b) of section 3734.05 of the Revised Code.

(c) Establish quality control and testing procedures to ensure compliance with the rules adopted under division (B)(2)(b) of this section;

(d) Authorize infectious wastes to be treated at a facility that holds a license or renewal of a license to operate a crematory facility issued under Chapter 4717., and a permit issued under Chapter 3704., of the Revised Code to the extent that the treatment of those wastes is consistent with that permit and its terms and conditions. The rules adopted under divisions (B)(2)(b) and (c) of this section do not apply to a facility holding such a license and permit.

In adopting the rules required by divisions (B)(2)(a) to (d) of this section, the director shall consider and, to the maximum feasible extent, utilize existing standards and guidelines established by professional and governmental organizations having expertise in the fields of infection control and infectious wastes management.

(e) Require shipping papers to accompany shipments of wastes that have been treated to render them noninfectious. The shipping papers shall include only the following elements:

(i) The name of the owner or operator of the facility where the wastes were treated and the address of the treatment facility;

(ii) A certification by the owner or operator of the treatment facility where the wastes were treated indicating that the wastes have been treated by the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in rules adopted under division (B)(2)(a) of this section.

(C) This section and rules adopted under it do not apply to the treatment or disposal of wastes consisting of dead animals or parts thereof, or the blood of animals:

(1) By the owner of the animal after slaughter by the owner on the owner's premises to obtain meat for consumption by the owner and the members of the owner's household;

(2) In accordance with Chapter 941. of the Revised Code; or

(3) By persons who are subject to any of the following:

(a) Inspection under the "Federal Meat Inspection Act," 81 Stat. 584 (1967), 21 U.S.C.A. 603, as amended;

(b) Chapter 918. of the Revised Code;

(c) Chapter 953. of the Revised Code.

(D) As used in this section, "generator" means a person who produces infectious wastes at a specific premises.

(E) Rules adopted under this section shall not concern or relate to personnel policies, salaries, wages, fringe benefits, or other conditions of employment of employees of persons owning or operating infectious waste treatment facilities.

(F)

(1) The director, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing the issuance, modification, revocation, suspension, and denial of variances from the rules adopted under division (B) of this section. Variances shall be issued, modified, revoked, suspended, or denied in accordance with division (F) of this section, rules adopted under it, and Chapter 3745. of the Revised Code.

(2) A person who desires to obtain a variance or renew a variance from the rules adopted under division (B) of this section shall submit to the director an application as prescribed by the director. The application shall contain detail plans, specifications, and information regarding objectives, procedures, controls, and any other information that the director may require. The director shall issue, renew, or deny a variance or renewal of a variance within six months of the date on which the director receives a complete application with all required information and data.

(3) The director may hold a public hearing on an application submitted under division (F) of this section for a variance at a location in the county in which the operations that are the subject of the application for a variance or renewal of variance are conducted. Not less than twenty days before the hearing, the director shall provide to the applicant notice of the hearing by certified mail or by another type of mail that is accompanied by a receipt and shall publish notice of the hearing at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the hearing is to be held. The director shall make a complete stenographic record of testimony and other evidence submitted at the hearing. Not later than ten days after the hearing, the director shall make a written determination to issue, renew, or deny the variance and shall enter the determination and the basis for it into the record of the hearing.

(4) A variance shall not be issued, modified, revoked, or denied under division (F) of this section until the director has considered the relative interests of the applicant, other persons and property that will be affected by the variance, and the general public. The director shall grant a variance only if the applicant demonstrates to the director's satisfaction that the requested action will not create a nuisance or a hazard to the health or safety of the public or to the environment. In granting a variance, the director shall state the specific provision or provisions whose terms are to be varied and also shall state specific terms or conditions imposed on the applicant in place of the provision or provisions.

(5) A variance granted under division (F) of this section shall be for a period specified by the director and may be renewed from time to time on terms and for periods that the director determines to be appropriate. The director may order the person to whom a variance has been issued to take action within the time that the director determines to be appropriate and reasonable to prevent the creation of a nuisance or a hazard to the health or safety of the public or to the environment.

(6) An application submitted under division (F) of this section shall not be denied and a variance shall not be revoked or modified under that division without a written order of the director stating the findings on which the denial, revocation, or modification is based. A copy of the order shall be sent to the applicant or holder of a variance by certified mail or by another type of mail that is accompanied by a receipt.

(7) The director shall make available for public inspection at the principal office of the environmental protection agency a current list of pending applications for variances submitted under division (F) of this section and a current schedule of pending variance hearings under it.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.115, SB 294, §1, eff. 9/5/2012.

Effective Date: 08-05-1998 .