Utah is Not a Dumping Ground!
Stericycle, Inc. operates Utah’s only commercial medical waste incinerator at 90 North 1100 West Street in North Salt Lake City. It is also the last commercial medical waste incinerator in the western region as Stericycle has replaced incineration in both California and Arizona with safer, non-incineration treatment technologies. Stericycle burns waste from all over Utah and from many other states throughout the region including California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas at the facility in North Salt Lake City.
OUR HEALTH IS AT RISK The incinerator is permitted to burn about 22 tons of medical and non-medical waste per day. Incineration emits toxic chemicals and metals, including dioxin and mercury, which can cause cancer and other ill-health effects.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH INCINERATION? BURNING MEDICAL WASTE = POISONS IN OUR AIR Incineration produces both toxic air emissions and toxic ash residue. In addition, burning medical waste creates new toxic compounds. The incineration of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, which is commonly used in medical products, is particularly dangerous because it creates dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known.
NO AMOUNT OF DIOXIN EXPOSURE IS SAFE Dioxin can cause health problems including cancer, birth defects, hormonal changes, declining sperm counts, infertility, endometriosis, immune system impairment, and diabetes, as well as damage to the liver, spleen, bone marrow and skin. We already have too much dioxin in our bodies, and no exposure to even small amounts is acceptable.
TOXIC EFFECTS OF MERCURY Mercury is a reproductive toxin and a potent neurotoxin that attacks the central nervous system. It can also harm the brain, kidney and lungs. Pregnant women, women of child-bearing age and small children are at the greatest risk.
DANGER TO OUR CHILDREN Children are at greatest danger from the pollutants spewed into the air by Stericycle’s incinerator. They breathe more air and eat more food per unit of body measurement, and since they are still growing, their cells are more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposure.
SAFER ALTERNATIVES EXIST The good news is that safer, non-incineration treatment alternatives exist that do not result in the creation of dioxin. In fact, Stericycle replaced their incinerators in California and Arizona with a steam sterilization alternative known as autoclaving. But instead of switching to the alternative in Utah, they are now bringing medical waste from all over to burn in Utah.
HOSPITALS, DIOXIN, & MERCURY Hospitals and other healthcare providers can greatly reduce pollution by: using alternatives to PVC and mercury-containing medical devices; minimizing the generation of waste and separating reusable and recyclable materials; and substituting safer non-incineration technologies to treat waste.
LEARN MORE
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