La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § III-2511

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024

Section III-2511 - Standards of Performance for Biomedical Waste Incinerators

A. Applicability

1. This Subchapter applies to all incinerators installed and operated in Louisiana for the purpose of reducing potentially infectious medical waste generated in all health and medical care facilities as defined herein.

2. Crematories are exempt from this Subchapter.

B. Definitions. The words and terms used in this Subchapter are defined in LAC 33:III.Chapter 51, and LAC 33:III.111 and 40 CFR 60.2, as incorporated by reference in LAC 33:III.Chapter 30, unless otherwise specifically defined as follows.

Antineoplastic Agents- that portion of potentially infectious medical waste containing chemicals that are administered to deter the growth of abnormal cells and/or tumors.

Biomedical Waste Incinerator- any incinerator operated for reducing potentially infectious medical waste generated by health and medical care facilities.

Chemotherapeutic Waste- that portion of potentially infectious medical waste containing chemical substances that are administered in the treatment of diseases, especially cancer, and diseases caused by parasites.

Crematory- any furnace or incinerator used in the process of burning Type IV waste for the purpose of reducing the volume of the waste by removing combustible matter and vaporizing moisture through the application of heat.

Health and Medical Care Facilities- shall include, but not be limited to, hospitals, clinics, dialysis facilities, birthing centers, emergency medical services, physicians' offices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, extended care facilities, podiatry offices, dental offices and clinics, medical research and diagnostic laboratories, home health care services, mortuaries, blood and plasma centers, blood collection mobile units, and veterinary medical centers.

Infectious Waste- that portion of potentially infectious waste which contains pathogens with sufficient virulence and quantity so that exposure to a susceptible host could result in contracting a disease.

Medical Waste- that portion of potentially infectious waste generated by operation of programs and offices in health and medical care facilities.

PM₁₀-particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers as measured by the method in 40 CFR Part 50, Appendix J.

PM₁₀ Emissions- finely divided solid or liquid material with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers emitted to the ambient air as measured by the methods specified in 40 CFR Part 52.

Potentially Infectious Medical Waste- a mixture of infectious waste, medical waste, and other waste which may potentially be infectious due to its physical characteristics or by how it was generated in the health care facilities. This includes, but is not limited to, the following types of waste:

a. cultures and stocks of infectious agents from laboratories;

b. pathological waste, including human tissue, organs, body parts, and fluids removed during surgery or autopsy;

c. blood, serum, blood collection bags, tubes, and vials;

d. needles, scalpels, syringes, pipettes, and other sharp objects used in health care or laboratory settings;

e. bandages, diapers, and other disposable materials that have been in contact with infected wounds or contaminated by patients isolated to prevent the spread of infectious diseases; and

f. any other refuse that has been in contact with any potentially infectious medical waste.

Type IV Waste- human and/or animal remains consisting of corpses, carcasses, organs, and solid organic wastes consisting of up to 85 percent moisture and 5 percent incombustible solids.

C. Registration

1. Within 90 days after adoption of these regulations, all facilities operating incinerators designed or operated for the purpose of burning potentially infectious medical waste, shall submit a supplemental incinerator data form (SID-1) to SPOC.

2. All facilities operating unpermitted incinerators designed or operated for the purpose of burning potentially infectious medical waste, shall submit an Application for Approval of Emissions and Emissions Inventory Questionnaire with appropriate permitting information on or before October 20, 1994.

D. Incinerator Design Requirements

1. All biomedical waste incinerators (BWIs) shall be multi-chambered units with burners capable of maintaining minimum temperatures of 1500°F in the primary chamber and 1800°F in the secondary chamber. Units burning chemotherapeutic waste, antineoplastic agents, and/or potentially infectious medical waste generated off-site shall require burners capable of maintaining minimum temperatures of 1500°F in the primary chamber and 2000°F in the secondary chamber. Design capacity shall be based on 8500 Btu per pound of waste incinerated. A temperature indicator and/or recorder shall be installed to monitor gas temperatures at the exit of the primary chamber. Internal temperature of the secondary chamber shall be monitored and continuously recorded.

2. All BWIs shall have a minimum retention time of 1.5 seconds for gases in the secondary chamber. Incinerators burning antineoplastic agents, chemotherapeutic waste, and/or potentially infectious medical waste generated off-site shall require a minimum of 2.0 seconds retention time.

3. All BWIs shall be equipped with an interlock that prevents the charge door from opening for 10 minutes after the secondary burner is ignited, or until the secondary chamber exit gases reach 1800°F, whichever occurs first. A visual warning system shall alert the operator when the interlock is bypassed for service or cleaning.

E. Restrictions on Emissions

1. All BWIs designed for less than 500 pounds-per-hour charging rate shall not emit PM₁₀ in excess of 0.08 grains per dry standard cubic foot of flue gas corrected to 7 percent oxygen. BWIs designed for 500 pounds-per-hour or greater charging rate shall not emit in excess of 0.04 grains of PM₁₀ per dry standard cubic foot of flue gas corrected to 7 percent oxygen.

2. Emission limits for all BWIs shall include:

a. hydrogen chloride (HCl)-no more than 4 pounds-per-hour, unless controlled through an acid gas scrubber or other control device which achieves a 98 percent reduction of HCl:

i. incinerators designed for 500 pounds-per-hour or greater charging rate shall be equipped with an acid gas control device or shall continuously monitor flue gas to show compliance with HCl emission limits; and

ii. all BWIs which burn waste generated off-site shall be equipped with an acid gas control device of 98 percent efficiency;

b. sulfur dioxide-100 ppmv (dry basis) at 7 percent oxygen or 70 percent reduction through an acid gas control device;

c. carbon monoxide (one hour rolling average)-100 ppmv (dry basis) at 7 percent oxygen;

d. nitrogen oxide-250 ppmv (dry basis) at 7 percent oxygen;

e. speciated hydrocarbons and heavy metals emissions must meet the requirements of LAC 33:III.Chapter 51;

f. opacity of stack gases shall not exceed 10 percent; and

g. excess oxygen in flue gas-2 percent minimum by volume (dry basis).

3. All BWIs designed for 500 pounds-per-hour or greater charging rate shall have a continuous monitoring and recording system installed for oxygen and carbon monoxide.

4. Reserved.

5. All BWIs shall be designed with a stack emission point that controls to the maximum extent possible the discharge of air contaminents and which does not adversely impact air quality in the local area. All incinerator stack heights must be approved by the administrative authority.

6. All BWIs with a design charging rate in excess of 250 pounds-per-hour shall conduct emission tests to verify compliance with this Subsection for PM₁₀ and HCl. In addition, BWIs with a design charging rate of 500 pounds or more per hour shall conduct emission tests to verify compliance with the standards for the following pollutants using the test methods from 40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A:

a. Method 5-Determination of Particulate Emissions from Stationary Sources (40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003);

b. Method 6-Determination of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Stationary Sources (40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003);

c. Method 7-Determination of Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from Stationary Sources (40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003);

d. Method 26-Determination of Hydrogen Chloride Emissions from Stationary Sources (40 CFR Part 60, Appendix A, as incorporated by reference at LAC 33:III.3003); and/or

e. other tests which may be added at pretest meetings.

7. At least 30 days prior to performing any emission test, notification of testing shall be made to the Office of Environmental Services to afford the department the opportunity to conduct a pretest conference and to have an observer present.

8. A copy of all monitoring and tests results shall be submitted to the Office of Environmental Services for review and approval within 60 days of completion of testing.

F. Radioactive Materials. Incineration of radioactive materials shall comply with the requirements of LAC 33:XV.463.

G. Ash Removal and Disposal. The removal, handling, storage, and transportation of ashes from the BWIs shall not allow controllable particulate matter to become airborne in amounts that will cause a public nuisance or cause ambient air quality standards to be violated.

H. Maintenance of Equipment. The BWI, auxiliary equipment, accessories, pollution control devices, and monitoring instruments shall be maintained in proper working order and operated according to manufacturer's instructions at all times that the incinerator is in operation.

I. Restrictions. All batteries and chemotherapeutic waste listed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 40 CFR 261.33(f), shall be removed from the waste feed stream prior to incineration.

J. Circumvention. No owner or operator subject to the provisions of this Chapter shall build, install, erect, or use any machine, equipment, process, or method, the use of which conceals an emission that would otherwise constitute a violation of an applicable standard. Such concealment includes, but is not limited to, the use of gaseous diluents to achieve compliance with an emissions standard and the installation of more than one incinerator to avoid coverage by a standard that applies only to incinerators with greater design charging capacities.

K. Prohibited Activities. No owner or operator shall operate any source subject to this standard in violation of the standards after October 20, 1994.

L. Recordkeeping/Reporting. The owner or operator of any BWI shall keep a daily record of the hours the unit was in operation and the amount of waste incinerated. A separate record shall be kept of all chemotherapeutic waste incinerated that is not listed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 40 CFR 261.33(f). This record shall show the name of the material, date and time incinerated, and amount burned. Records shall be submitted to the Office of Environmental Compliance by March 31 for the previous calendar year.

La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § III-2511

Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Air Quality and Radiation Protection, Air Quality Division, LR 20:1098 (October 1994), amended LR 21:1081 (October 1995), LR 22:1212 (December 1996), LR 23:1680 (December 1997), LR 24:1286 (July 1998), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, Environmental Planning Division, LR 26:2455 (November 2000), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs Division, LR 31:2442 (October 2005), LR 33:2089 (October 2007), LR 34:1904 (September 2008), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Division, LR 38:2754 (November 2012), LR 39:3268 (December 2013).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2054.