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May 11, 2004

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Stericycle Burns Waste, Endangers Communities

Protesters at shareholder meeting demand closure of massive incinerators

Chicago, IL, May 11, 2004 - Despite public promises to be good environmental stewards, the nation's largest medical waste hauler continues to pollute communities by burning millions of pounds of waste per year, according to affected community residents, environmental groups and labor representatives who protested today at the shareholder meeting of Lake Forest-based Stericycle, Inc.

In North Salt Lake City, the Stericycle incinerator burns medical waste from eight states right across the street from a youth facility. In North Carolina, Stericycle hauls 33 million pounds of medical waste into the small town of Haw River and burns 24-hours a day, every day.

"Stericycle has no excuse for exposing us, our children and local dairy herds to the poisonous emissions from their trash. It's unforgivable and we plan to stop it," said Martha Hamblin, member of Haw River's GASP for Clean Air.

As incinerators have closed due to health concerns in California and Arizona, more waste has been trucked to the North Salt Lake incinerator, and Stericycle refuses to switch to safer methods of waste disposal, as they have in other communities. "This is a direct slap in the face to Utah residents," said Cindy King of the Utah Sierra Club.

Stericycle has the capacity to burn more than 100 million pounds of medical waste a year in six communities in the US. Medical waste incineration is a leading source of dioxin, mercury and other air pollutants linked to cancer, learning disabilities and other illnesses.

"As long as Stericycle continues to burn medical waste, the company is making a deliberate decision to threaten people's health," said Monica Rohde Buckhorn of the watchdog group Health Care Without Harm.

" Burning waste makes bad business sense for Stericycle," she said. " Incineration is the most expensive method of waste treatment, and local opposition to incinerators can cost even more in delayed permits and lawsuits."

In another development that could forecast trouble ahead for the medical waste giant, Maine's hospitals recently announced plans to drop Stericycle and set up their own autoclaving facility to treat biohazardous waste - a move that will save the hospitals money and protect public health.

Find HCWH's new Investors Tip Sheet and more info about Stericycle at www.noharm.org.