NORTH SALT LAKE—It’s been nine years since a group of residents backed by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE) started fighting to close Stericycle, a hospital, medical and infectious waste incinerator facility in North Salt Lake, for emitting toxic air pollution into the community. Last week, the fight finally came to an end as Stericycle was shuttered and will move its operations to Nevada.

“This is a celebration of not just Stericycle closing, but the power of citizen involvement, courage and activism,” said Board President of UPHE, Dr. Brian Moench. “In 2012/2013, residents living near the facility contacted us with concerns about what was coming out of the Stericycle smoke stack. We held town halls, met with the governor and the management of healthcare networks. We held protest rallies and marches at the Capitol and in front of the facility. Erin Brockovich flew in from California and led one of our marches.”

Criminal investigations by the Utah Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were conducted, he said. “They levied record breaking fines for rigging stack tests, falsifying records and exceeding their allowed emissions. The state fined Stericycle $2.3 million that would be cut in half if they forfeited their permit but they wouldn’t stop.”

First they tried to move to Tooele, said Moench. “Then they tried to move to Las Vegas but they didn’t want it. They wanted to build a facility in Reno and the people there reached out to us. The public didn’t want it but the county commissioners approved it.”

The industry of incinerating medical waste started in the 1980s, he said. “Bags of medical waste, including needles, started washing up on New Jersey beaches. The nationwide alarm prompted a misguided response that launched a highly toxic industry where the supposed cure became worse than the disease.”

Incineration of hazardous medical waste doesn’t eliminate or even decrease the toxicity, said Moench. “It concentrates some of it in the residue and spreads the rest all around the community. It even creates new toxins that aren’t found in the original waste, like dioxins.”

Stericycle was granted a permit in 1989. “For 33 years Stericycle poured out of their smoke stack a witch’s brew of many of the most toxic substances known to science,” he said. “The facility’s state permit allowed it to release 9.5 tons of these highly poisonous compounds every year.”

This never should have happened, Moench said. “It was a mistake then and the nearest subdivision was farther away, but they got closer and closer to the facility and became more and more exposed to higher and higher amounts. It became obvious there was no solution than to have it shuttered.”

Officials with Stericycle maintain the facility was in compliance and that they were providing a necessary service. “Proper medical waste treatment and disposal, including incineration of certain waste streams, is an essential and often legally required service that helps mitigate the spread of infection, helps keep untreated pharmaceuticals out of drinking water, and helps protect healthcare workers and communities,” a statement from the company said. “In more than three decades of operating a Hospital, Medical, and Infectious Waste Incinerator (HMIWI) in the North Salt Lake community, Stericycle received only one notice of violation, nearly nine years ago, relating to emissions. Stericycle cooperated with the State in that matter and also made significant investments in the facility to lower emission levels beyond the already stringent limits for HMIWI. The company also cooperated with Federal authorities to resolve a civil investigation into the same matter and is fulfilling its obligations under an agreement to fund the purchase of low-emission school buses for the Davis County School District.”

Although Stericycle ceased operation of their HMIWI in North Salt Lake, the company will continue to own and operate the site as a collection and transportation facility. “It will employ approximately 20 team members to service healthcare customers throughout the greater Salt Lake region,” the statement said. “Stericycle has sought relocation in Storey County, Nevada to account for the infrastructure needed to expand our capacity.”

“We’re thrilled to have these nine years come to an end,” said Moench. “There will still be cancers diagnosed because of the emissions and that will trigger other health issues. The effect on chromosomal integrity will impact future generations. All the victims of Stericycle haven’t even been born yet.”

This went on too long, he said. “That’s unfortunate but thankfully the exposure has finally ended. We’re going to celebrate, that’s for sure.” λ