Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-3-3-.04 Incineration of Hospital/medical/infectious Waste

LibraryAlabama Administrative Code
Edition2023
CurrencyCurrent through Register Vol. 42, No. 3, December 29, 2023
Year2023
CitationAla. Admin. Code r. 335-3-3-.04

(1) For the purpose of this Rule, the following definitions apply:

    (a) "Batch HMIWI" means an HMIWI that is designed such that neither waste charging nor ash removal can occur during combustion.
    (b) "Biologicals" means preparations made from living organisms and their products, including vaccines, cultures, etc., intended for use in diagnosing, immunizing, or treating humans or animals or in research pertaining thereto.
    (c) "Blood Products" means any product derived from human blood, including but not limited to blood plasma, platelets, red or white blood corpuscles, and other derived licensed products, such as interferon etc.
    (d) "Body Fluids" means liquid emanating or derived from humans and limited to blood; dialysate; amniotic, cerebrospinal, synovial, pleural, peritoneal and pericardial fluids; and semen and vaginal secretions.
    (e) "Bypass stack" means a device used for discharging combustion gases to avoid severe damage to the air pollution control device or other equipment.
    (f) "Chemotherapeutic waste" means waste material resulting from the production or use of antineoplastic agents used for the purpose of stopping or reversing the growth of malignant cells.
    (g) "Co-fired combustor" means a unit combusting hospital waste and/or medical/infectious waste with other fuels or wastes (e.g., coal municipal solid waste) and subject to an enforceable requirement limiting the unit to combusting a fuel feed stream, 10 percent or less of the weight of which is comprised, in aggregate, of hospital waste and medical/infectious waste as measured on a calendar quarter basis. For purposes of this definition pathological waste, chemotherapeutic waste, and low-level radioactive waste are considered "other" wastes when calculating the percentage of hospital waste and medical/infectious waste combusted.
    (h) "Continuous emission monitoring system or CEMS" means a monitoring system for continuously measuring and recording the emissions of a pollutant from an affected facility.
    (i) "Continuous HMIWI" means an HMIWI that is designed to allow waste charging and ash removal during combustion.
    (j) "Dioxins/furans" means the combined emissions of tetra-through octa-chlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzofurans, as measured by EPA Reference Method 23.
    (k) "Dry scrubber" means an add-on air pollution control system that injects dry alkaline sorbent (dry injection) or sprays an alkaline sorbent (spray dryer) to react with and neutralize acid gases in the HMIWI exhaust stream forming a dry powder material.
    (l) "Fabric filter or baghouse" means an add-on air pollution control system that removes particulate matter (PM) and nonvaporous metals emissions by passing flue gas through filter bags.
    (m) "High-air phase" means the stage of the batch operating cycle when the primary chamber reaches and maintains maximum operating temperatures.
    (n) "Hospital" means any facility which has an organized medical staff, maintains at least six inpatient beds, and where the primary function of the institution is to provide diagnostic and therapeutic patient services and continuous nursing care primarily to human inpatients who are not related and who stay on average in excess of 24 hours per admission. This definition does not include facilities maintained for the sole purpose of providing nursing or convalescent care to human patients who generally are not acutely ill but who require continuing medical supervision.
    (o) "Hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerator or HMIWI or HMIWI unit" means any device that combusts any amount of hospital waste and/or medical/ infectious waste.
    (p) "Hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerator operator or HMIWI operator" means any person who operates, controls or supervises the day-to-day operation of an HMIWI.
    (q) "Hospital waste" means discards generated at a hospital, except unused items returned to the manufacturer. The definition of hospital waste does not include human corpses remains, and anatomical parts that are intended for interment or cremation.
    (r) "Infectious agent" means any organism (such as a virus or bacteria) that is capable of being communicated by invasion and multiplication in body tissues and capable of causing disease or adverse health impacts in humans.
    (s) "Intermittent HMIWI" means an HMIWI that is designed to allow waste charging, but not ash removal, during combustion.
    (t) "Large HMIWI" means:1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2.;(i) An HMIWI whose maximum design waste burning capacity is more than 500 pounds per hour; or (ii) A continuous or intermittent HMIWI whose maximum charge rate is more than 500 pounds per hour; or (iii) A batch HMIWI whose maximum charge rate is more than 4,000 pounds per day. 2. The following are not large HMIWI (i) A continuous or intermittent HMIWI whose maximum charge rate is less than or equal to 500 pounds per hour; or (ii) A batch HMIWI whose maximum charge rate is less than or equal to 4,000 pounds per day.
    (u) "Low-level radioactive waste" means waste material which contains radioactive nuclides emitting primarily beta or gamma radiation, or both, in concentrations or quantities that exceed applicable federal or State standards for unrestricted release. Low-level radioactive waste is not high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or by-product material as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 [ 42 U.S.C. 2014(e)(2) ].
    (v) "Maximum charge rate" means: 1. For continuous and intermittent HMIWI, 110 percent of the lowest 3-hour average charge rate measured during the most recent performance test demonstrating compliance with all applicable emission limits. 2. For batch HMIWI, 110 percent of the lowest daily charge rate measured during the most recent performance test demonstrating compliance with all applicable emission limits.
    (w) "Maximum design waste burning capacity" means: 1. For intermittent and continuous HMIWI, Click to view image Where: C = HMIWI capacity, lb/hr PV = primary chamber volume, ft3 15,000 = primary chamber heat release rate factor, Btu/ft3/hr 8,500 = standard waste heating value, Btu/lb; 2. For batch HMIWI, Click to view image Where: C = HMIWI capacity, lb/hr PV = primary chamber volume, ft3 4.5 = waste density, lb/ft3 8 = typical hours of operation of a batch HMIWI, hours.
    (x) "Maximum fabric filter inlet temperature" means 110 percent of the lowest 3-hour average temperature at the inlet to the fabric filter (taken, at a minimum, once every minute) measured during the most recent performance test demonstrating compliance with the dioxin/furan emission limit.
    (y) "Maximum flue gas temperature" means 110 percent of the lowest 3-hour average temperature at the outlet from the wet scrubber (taken, at a minimum, once every minute) measured during the most recent performance test demonstrating compliance with the mercury (Hg) emission limit.
    (z) "Medical/infectious waste" means any waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals that is listed below: The definition of medical/infectious waste does not include hazardous waste identified or listed under the regulations in ADEM Admin. Code R. 335-14-2; household waste as defined in ADEM Admin. Code R. 335-14-2-.01(4)(b)1.; ash from incineration of medical/ infectious waste, once the incineration process has been completed; human corpses, remains, and anatomical parts that are intended for interment or cremation; and domestic sewage materials identified in ADEM Admin. Code R. 335-14-2-.01(4)(a)1. 1. Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, including: cultures from medical and pathological laboratories; cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories; wastes from the production of biologicals; discarded live and attenuated vaccines; and culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate, and mix cultures. 2. Human pathological waste, including tissues, organs, and body parts and body fluids that are removed during surgery or autopsy, or other medical procedures, and specimens of body fluids and their containers. 3. Human blood and blood products including: (i) Liquid waste human blood; (ii) Products of blood; (iii) Items saturated and/or dripping with human blood; or (iv) Items that were saturated and/or dripping with human blood that are now caked with dried human blood; including serum, plasma, and other blood components, and their containers, which were used or intended for use in either patient care, testing and laboratory analysis or the development of pharmaceuticals. Intravenous bags are also included in this category. 4. Sharps that have been used in animal or human patient care or treatment or in medical, research, or industrial laboratories, including hypodermic needles, syringes...

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