§ 23-19.12-5. Medical waste tracking form. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person or legal entity to transport regulated medical waste from any person or legal entity within the state without a medical waste tracking form prepared and maintained in conformity with any requirements that the director by regulation may adopt. Generators of small quantities of regulated medical waste are exempt from the requirement to use medical waste tracking forms if they generate less than fifty (50) pounds of regulated medical waste in a calendar month and:

(1) The regulated medical waste is transported to a health care facility, an intermediate handler, or a destination facility with which the generator has a written agreement to accept the regulated medical waste; or the generator is transporting the regulated medical waste from the original generation point to the generator's place of business. Small quantity generators who transport regulated medical waste between satellite facilities must apply for a variance from the department of environmental management, division of air and hazardous materials, as per the rules and regulations for solid waste management facilities. Small quantity generators in the same building may share a common storage facility within the building (before the waste is transported off-site), without applying for a variance; and

(2) The regulated medical waste is transported by the generator, or an authorized employee, in a vehicle owned by the generator or authorized employee (NOTE: Owned vehicle means a vehicle which is owned by or registered to the generator or employee or is under lease by the generator or authorized employee for a minimum of thirty (30) days); and

(3) The generator shall compile a shipment log and maintain records as required in § 23-19.12-6.

(4)(i) The generator submits semiannual reports to the director.

These reports shall include:

(A) Name of generator (company name);

(B) Address of generator;

(C) Contact person;

(D) Telephone number;

(E) Generator type (hospital, laboratory, clinic, physician, veterinarian, long-term or residential health care facility, blood bank, mortician, other (specify type));

(F) Quantity (by weight) of treated and untreated regulated medical waste transported off-site, during the reporting period, for which a medical waste tracking form was not used;

(G) Name and address of facility to which medical waste was transported.

(ii) These reports shall be submitted to the director for the periods of January 1 to June 30 and July 1 to December 31 of each year.

(iii) These reports must be received by the director within forty-five (45) days of the end of the reporting period.

(b) Any generators transporting between satellite facilities are exempt from using the medical waste tracking form provided they meet all of the following conditions:

(1) The regulated medical waste is transported by the generator, or the generator's authorized employee, in a vehicle owned by the generator or the employee; (NOTE: Owned vehicle means a vehicle which is owned by or registered to the generator or employee or is under lease by the generator or authorized employee for a minimum of thirty (30) days); and

(2) The regulated medical waste is brought to a central collection point or treatment facility owned or operated by the generator. Other generators (those who generate and transport or offer for transportation more than fifty (50) pounds of regulated medical waste in a calendar month) with multiple locations must apply for a license or variance from DEM, division of air and hazardous materials, as per and any applicable sections of the rules and regulations for solid waste management facilities; and

(3) The original generation point and the central collection point or treatment facility are located in the state of Rhode Island; and

(4) The generator compiles and maintains a shipment log at each generation point and each central collection and each central collection point as required by § 23-19.12-6.

History of Section. (P.L. 1992, ch. 497, § 1.)