Waste management officials in Minnesota were forced to abruptly halt operations on Monday, Dec. 15, according to KSTP, after a truck dropped off extremely hazardous material.
What's happening?
Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy is located in Newport, Minnesota, serving the broader Twin Cities metro area.
On Monday, workers spotted what KSTP described as "'infectious' medical waste" intermingled with standard refuse after a truckload of new waste arrived.
Used syringes, bloodied and fluid-contaminated material, and "possible body parts" were among hazardous forms of waste reported at the facility in an incident the outlet said was not a first.
Trista Martinson, executive director of Ramsey/Washington R&E, explained that workers had encountered hazardous medical waste last month.
"We started seeing these loads again, frequently, a couple times a day. This is incredibly dangerous," said Martinson, who expressed concern for staff safety. "Quite frankly, the trauma when you see body parts, that's really traumatizing, that's not what they are trained to do."
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Waste officials reported the incidents to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. KSTP asked whether the MPCA had information on how medical waste ended up at the facility.
A spokesperson told KSTP it was "agency policy not to comment on active investigations."
Why is improper disposal of medical waste concerning?
In 1987 and 1988, an environmental disaster known as the "Syringe Tide" occurred in New York and New Jersey.
Medical waste began washing ashore with no immediately identifiable source. Beaches were forced to close, and summer tourism revenue on the Jersey Shore had a catastrophic loss.
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Yes! 👍 In response, Congress passed the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988. The legislation created a legal framework for regulating the disposal of potentially hazardous waste.
The "Syringe Tide" unfolded at the height of the AIDS crisis — when public fear of encountering contaminated blood and fluids was at an all-time high. Regardless, medical waste remains a biohazard and public health risk if mismanaged or intentionally mishandled.
As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicated, improperly disposed hazardous waste disproportionately affects low-income areas. These areas are also usually ill-equipped to handle the waste.
In this instance, the facility was forced to halt operations. Overall, the irresponsible disposal of hazardous waste is detrimental to the environment and to residents. As was the case in New Jersey, it can lead to adverse outcomes like lost tourism revenue as well.
What's being done about it?
The MPCA spokesperson indicated that the agency is investigating the incident. It's trying to identify the company or companies responsible for improperly disposing of medical waste.
In 2024, California reached a $5 million settlement with Quest Diagnostics over allegations that the corporation mishandled hazardous medical waste and sensitive patient data.
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