Medical waste permit passed

MAT-SU -- With construction of the new Valley Hospital facility progressing rapidly, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly passed an ordinance at its Nov. 16 meeting aimed at one type of business that often accompanies growth in the medical field.

A new ordinance makes it mandatory for any new medical-waste disposal companies to obtain a conditional-use permit before operating in the Mat-Su Borough. The ordinance, according to Mat-Su Borough Planning Director Murph O'Brien, would not affect the Valley's only existing medical-waste disposal company, Safety Waste Incineration.

Safety Waste Incineration obtained an operating permit in the borough in 1997, and collects waste from medical offices in the area. A message left with Jim Oliver, owner of SWI, was not returned Tuesday.

According to information from the borough, medical waste treatment and disposal are regulated by both the federal and state government. The borough's ordinance, O'Brien said, addresses land-use issues such as lot size, locating within a flood zone, locating near residential buildings, proper vehicle access and mandatory insurance requirements.

"Mostly, it addresses land-use aspects," O'Brien said.

One goal of the ordinance was to ensure the prospective use of the land fits in with the way land is used in the surrounding neighborhood, but O'Brien said there was a second reason behind the ordinance's creation.

"There was some concern with knowledge of those facilities' operations," O'Brien said "Knowing what they're burning, what fuel they're using from an emergency response standpoint is important … [so responders] know what they may encounter."

The ordinance requires that several safety measures be in place and available to emergency responders. These measures include emergency shut-down procedures, installation of sprinkler systems with appropriate water connections and a rapid-entry box for emergency responders and other details.

The ordinance was created at the request of Assembly Member Mary Kvalheim, who told assembly members last week that it was an ordinance she had been working toward since she was elected to the assembly in 2002.

"We're finding, more and more, that medical waste transfers to humans in this procedure," Kvalheim said.

Assembly Member Jody Simpson said she was a little surprised by the ordinance, since the only existing medical-waste incinerator is located in her district and she had never noticed a groundswell of people opposed to its operation.

"I thought I must be missing a whole section of my constituents who're worried about this," Simpson said. "This is the one and only medical-waste incinerator in this whole borough. I'm not trying to dismiss concerns about medical-waste incinerators … but it isn't something that my constituents who live near the facility are complaining about."

Simpson added an amendment to the ordinance that clarified it was not meant to prohibit or regulate burning related to fireplaces, wood stoves or pellet stoves before adding her assent to the ordinance.

The assembly unanimously passed both Simpson's amendment and the ordinance.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.