Solid Waste & Infectious Waste

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health Solid Waste Program annually licenses and inspects solid waste facilities to assure compliance with Ohio Revised Code section 3734. The program is annually surveyed and approved by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to conduct solid waste programs in Cuyahoga County .

On a routine basis, registered sanitarians inspect active and closed landfills,  transfer stations , infectious waste treatment facilities, large generators of infectious waste, scrap tire generators, compost sites and open dumping. Complaints regarding any of these facilities are investigated as soon as possible. Monitoring activities ensure that the environment and the general public health are not adversely impacted from solid waste facilities within our jurisdiction.

The Board of Health Solid Waste Program continues to be involved in all new solid waste programs. At the state level, the Board of Health participates in new rule development through participation with government agencies and professional associations. On the local level, the Board of Health promotes innovative programs which exceed any mandates.

• All solid waste programs are governed by OEPA rules developed by authority of HB 592 (1988).
• OEPA set minimum engineering and design criteria and standards which use the best available technology (BAT).
• All new or modified sites must submit detailed engineering plans to OEPA before construction and license is issued. (PTI).
• OEPA oversees program and annually conducts survey to determine if health department meets minimum standards.
• Link to OEPA ( www.epa.ohio.gov )

TYPES OF WASTES

Solid Wastes def. 3745-01(E)

"Solid Wastes" means such unwanted residual solid or semi-solid material as results from industrial, commercial, agricultural, and community operations, excluding earth or material of the type that would normally be included in demolition debris, nontoxic fly ash, spent nontoxic foundry sand, slag and other substances that are not harmful or inimical to public health, and includes, but is not limited to, garbage, tires combustible and non-combustible material, street dirt, and debris. Solid waste does not include any material that is an infectious or a hazardous waste.

Industrial Wastes: Rules Effective 6-1-94
definition in 3745-29
Industrial Wastes means a type of solid waste generated by manufacturing or industrial operations and includes, but is not limited to, solid waste resulting from the following processes: electric power generation; fertilization/ agricultural chemicals; food and food related products; inorganic chemicals; iron and steel manufacturing; leather and leather products; nonferrous metals manufacturing; plastics and resin manufacturing; pulp and paper industry; rubber and miscellaneous plastic products; stone, glass, clay, concrete products; textile manufacturing; and transportation equipment "Industrial solid wastes" does not include solid wastes generated by commercial, agricultural, or community operations.

Residual Wastes: Rules Effective 3-20-92 3745-30,
definition in 3745-30

• Wastes generated by fuel burning equipment
• Wastes generated from foundry operations
• Wastes generated from pulp and papermaking operations
• Wastes generated from steel making operations
• Wastes generated from gypsum processing plant operations
• Wastes generated from lime processing operations
• Wastes generated from Portland cement operations

Infectious Wastes

• Cultures and stocks of infectious agents
• Laboratory wastes
• Pathological wastes
• Wastes from rooms of humans or enclosures of animals that have been isolated because of communicable disease
• Humans and animal blood specimens and blood products
  Contaminated carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals that were intentionally exposed to infectious agents during research, production of biologicals or testing of pharmaceuticals
• Sharp wastes - hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpel blades, and glass articles that have been broken
• Other wastes that the public health council identifies as infectious waste
• Any other waste materials the generator designates as infectious waste
• Infectious wastes that are also radioactive shall be managed in accordance with ODH and NRC regulations

Construction/Demolition Waste

• Wastes generated from the alteration, construction, destruction, rehabilitation, or repair of any manmade physical structure (ie. houses, buildings, industrial or commercial facilities, or roads)
• Generally applies to all materials affixed to structures.
• Wastes which are removed prior to demolition are not included.

      Composting fact sheet ( pdf ) Adobe Reader required

• Grass, leaves, garden waste and tree trimmings.
• Source separated loads restricted from landfills.

Tires

• Prohibited from disposal in landfills as of 3-01-96 .
• Stockpiled tires must meet requirements for fire and vector control. 3-01-97 shredded tires prohibited from landfills.

Lead-Acid Batteries

• Prohibited from landfill disposal by 1-1-93 .

Wastes now prohibited from landfill disposal

• Hazardous waste - regulated by CFR 241.101(g)
• Waste oils - can by recycled
• Asbestos - regulated under NESHAP, 40 CFR-61-M
• Liquids - determined by paint filter liquids test
• Infectious waste - regulated by 3745-30

Household Hazardous Waste ( HHW )

Exempt from hazardous waste rules

• HHW Disposal fact sheet ( pdf )
• Hazardous Products in the Home ( A link to EPA-Purdue Univ. web page )
• Mercury Spills - How to clean up small spills in the home (pdf )
• Alternative Cleaners ( pdf )

Underground Storage Tank (UST) contaminated soils

• Removal of tanks regulated by Fire Marshall office.
• Disposed of in a landfill if non-hazardous.
• Testing of soils required.

Exempt wastes

• Nontoxic spent foundry sands, fly ash, asphalt, and concrete.

TYPES OF SOLID WASTE FACILITIES

  Landfills

• regulated under OAC 3745-27
• all sites must comply with operational requirements, groundwater monitoring, methane monitoring, financial assurance and closure requirements.
• inspections conducted weekly and bi-weekly depending on site activity -closed landfills inspected quarterly
• closed landfills monitored for leachate, methane, erosion
• landfills not permitted to accept hazardous waste, ,infectious waste, waste oils, asbestos, liquid wastes, or scrap tires.
• Currently two (2) licensed facilities exist in Cuyahoga County

Transfer Stations

• regulated under OAC 3745-27-21 thru 24
• defined: 3745-27-01 (JJJ)
  "Solid waste transfer facility" or "transfer facility" means any site, location, tract of land, installation, or building that is used or intended to be used primarily for the purpose of transferring solid wastes that are generated off the premises of the facility from vehicles or containers into other vehicles or containers for transportation to a solid waste disposal facility. The term does not include any facility that consists solely of portable containers that have an aggregate volume of fifty (50) cubic yards or less nor any facility where legitimate recycling activities are conducted. -inspected weekly or bi-weekly basis depending on site activity (10 operating licensed facilities exist in Cuyahoga County )
• new facilities must submit PTI for E.P.A. approval before opening
• prohibited from accepting hazardous waste, infectious waste, asbestos, waste oil, liquids, and scrap tires.

• regulated under OAC 3745-400 effective 9-30-96
• licensed sites in Cuyahoga County inspected on a weekly basis (minimum) or more if needed
• tipping fee of   $0.80 per yard or $ 1.60 per ton apply to all material disposed of at the facility. (This fee is in lieu of a license application fee)
• annual application reviewed by local health department
• Construction demolition sites are allowed to accept material defined as construction demolition debris. "Construction demolition debris" means those materials Resulting from the alteration, construction, destruction, rehabilitation, or repair of any manmade physical structure, including, without limitation, houses, buildings, industrial, or commercial facilities, or roadways. " Construction and demolition debris does not include materials identified or listed as solid wastes, infectious wastes, or hazardous wastes pursuant to Chapter 3734 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it; or materials from mining operations, nontoxic fly ash, spent nontoxic foundry sands, and slag; or reinforced or non-reinforced concrete, asphalt, building or paving stone that is stored for a period of less than two years for recycling into a usable construction material. "Materials resulting from the alteration, construction, destruction, rehabilitation, or repair" do not include materials removed prior to demolition, such as solid wastes, furniture, yard waste and appliances.
• sites cannot accept "regulated" solid wastes, hazardous wastes, infectious wastes, asbestos, waste oils, liquids, yard waste and scrap tires.

Compost Sites

• regulated under OAC 3745-27 Effective 6-1-92
• revised 10-31-93 , Created new class IV
• requires registration of sites (Class I-IV)
• Class I & Class II require a license
• sites must meet siting criteria and operational requirements
• twenty six (26) sites in Cuyahoga County which are monitored monthly for odor and leachate problems.
• uncontaminated yard wastes restriction at landfills

Infectious Waste Generators

• regulated under 3745-30-37
• two categories of I.W. Generators Large Generator - >50 lbs./month ex. hospitals, clinics, med centers.  Small Generator - <50 lbs./month ex. Doctor offices, dentists, small clinics
• large generators must register with O.E.P.A.
• inspected on a complaint basis.
• large generators must either treat infectious waste to render it non-infectious by : Autoclaving, incineration,or by chemical treatment methods, or send infectious waste to a licensed infectious waste treatment facility. -small generators are not required to register or be inspected but must treat cultures, handle sharps properly, and record lb./month of infectious waste.

• must submit a PTI for O.E.P.A. approval before operating and being licensed.
• treat infectious waste by:
  
  a)Autoclaving - 121o F at 15 psi for 30 minutes.
  
  b)Incineration- 1200-1600o F
  
  c)Chemical - approved solution equivalent to 15% chlorine solution for 10 minutes.

• must be registered with O.E.P.A.
• must meet requirements of shipping papers, spill containment & spill kit, and handling procedures of infectious waste.
• trucks must be labeled with bio-hazard symbol.

• regulated under 3745-27-(54-79) effective 3-01-96
• rule regulates the transporting, collection, storage, and disposal of tires -requires registration and licensing of facilities depending on type
• rules for shipping papers during transport, storage and collection requirements (fire and vector hazards) and design requirements for disposal facilities.
• all generators, must at a minimum, treat scrap tires for mosquitos and have scrap tires removed from facility by an OEPA registered transporter.

METHANE MONITORING

• Landfills with monitor wells monitored on a monthly basis (more often if necessary)
• High levels in wells would require further investigation to insure that no off-site migration is occurring. Gas monitoring priority given to sites which have homes in close proximity.
• Monitor perimeter area for methane migration with punch bars when levels are high in monitor wells.
• Monitor any homes to ensure that methane levels are not explosive in homes (methane explosive between 5-15% by volume).

Notification for methane complaints