PocketLaw | Illinois Compiled Statutes

Potentially Infectious Medical Waste

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(415 ILCS 5/Tit. XV heading)

Title XV: Potentially Infectious Medical Waste

(415 ILCS 5/56) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056)

Sec. 56. (a) The General Assembly finds:

(1) that potentially infectious medical waste, if not handled properly, may constitute an environmental or public health problem.
(2) that potentially infectious medical waste, if not handled properly, may present a health risk to handlers of the waste at the facility where the waste is generated, during transportation of the waste, and at the facility receiving the waste.

(b) It is the purpose of this Title to reduce the potential environmental and public health risks associated with potentially infectious medical waste by establishing statutory and regulatory requirements to ensure that such waste will be handled in a safe and responsible manner.

(c) Potentially infectious medical waste is not a hazardous waste, except for those potentially infectious medical wastes identified by characteristics or listing as hazardous under Section 3001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, P.L. 94-580, or pursuant to Board regulations. Potentially infectious medical waste characterized or listed as hazardous shall be subject to the appropriate hazardous waste regulations. Potentially infectious medical waste packages that contain both waste characterized or listed as hazardous and waste characterized as nonhazardous shall be subject to the hazardous waste regulations.

(Source: P.A. 90-773, eff. 8-14-98.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.1)

Sec. 56.1. Acts prohibited.

(A) No person shall:

(a) Cause or allow the disposal of any potentially infectious medical waste. Sharps may be disposed in any landfill permitted by the Agency under Section 21 of this Act to accept municipal waste for disposal, if both:

(1) the infectious potential has been eliminated from the sharps by treatment; and
(2) the sharps are packaged in accordance with Board regulations.

(b) Cause or allow the delivery of any potentially infectious medical waste for transport, storage, treatment, or transfer except in accordance with Board regulations.
(c) Beginning July 1, 1992, cause or allow the delivery of any potentially infectious medical waste to a person or facility for storage, treatment, or transfer that does not have a permit issued by the agency to receive potentially infectious medical waste, unless no permit is required under subsection (g)(1).
(d) Beginning July 1, 1992, cause or allow the delivery or transfer of any potentially infectious medical waste for transport unless:

(1) the transporter has a permit issued by the Agency to transport potentially infectious medical waste, or the transporter is exempt from the permit requirement set forth in subsection (f)(l).
(2) a potentially infectious medical waste manifest is completed for the waste if a manifest is required under subsection (h).

(e) Cause or allow the acceptance of any potentially infectious medical waste for purposes of transport, storage, treatment, or transfer except in accordance with Board regulations.
(f) Beginning July 1, 1992, conduct any potentially infectious medical waste transportation operation:

(1) Without a permit issued by the Agency to transport potentially infectious medical waste. No permit is required under this provision (f)(1) for:

(A) a person transporting potentially infectious medical waste generated solely by that person's activities;
(B) noncommercial transportation of less than 50 pounds of potentially infectious medical waste at any one time; or
(C) the U.S. Postal Service.

(2) In violation of any condition of any permit issued by the Agency under this Act.
(3) In violation of any regulation adopted by the Board.
(4) In violation of any order adopted by the Board under this Act.

(g) Beginning July 1, 1992, conduct any potentially infectious medical waste treatment, storage, or transfer operation:

(1) without a permit issued by the Agency that specifically authorizes the treatment, storage, or transfer of potentially infectious medical waste. No permit is required under this subsection (g) or subsection (d)(1) of Section 21 for any:

(A) Person conducting a potentially infectious medical waste treatment, storage, or transfer operation for potentially infectious medical waste generated by the person's own activities that are treated, stored, or transferred within the site where the potentially infectious medical waste is generated.
(B) Hospital that treats, stores, or transfers only potentially infectious medical waste generated by its own activities or by members of its medical staff.
(C) Sharps collection station that is operated in accordance with Section 56.7.

(2) in violation of any condition of any permit issued by the Agency under this Act.
(3) in violation of any regulation adopted by the Board.
(4) In violation of any order adopted by the Board under this Act.

(h) Transport potentially infectious medical waste unless the transporter carries a completed potentially infectious medical waste manifest. No manifest is required for the transportation of:

(1) potentially infectious medical waste being transported by generators who generated the waste by their own activities, when the potentially infectious medical waste is transported within or between sites or facilities owned, controlled, or operated by that person;
(2) less than 50 pounds of potentially infectious medical waste at any one time for a noncommercial transportation activity; or
(3) potentially infectious medical waste by the U.S. Postal Service.

(i) Offer for transportation, transport, deliver, receive or accept potentially infectious medical waste for which a manifest is required, unless the manifest indicates that the fee required under Section 56.4 of this Act has been paid.
(j) Beginning January 1, 1994, conduct a potentially infectious medical waste treatment operation at an incinerator in existence on the effective date of this Title in violation of emission standards established for these incinerators under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act (42 USC 7429), as amended.
(k) Beginning July 1, 2015, knowingly mix household sharps, including, but not limited to, hypodermic, intravenous, or other medical needles or syringes or other medical household waste containing used or unused sharps, including, but not limited to, hypodermic, intravenous, or other medical needles or syringes or other sharps, with any other material intended for collection as a recyclable material by a residential hauler.
(l) Beginning on July 1, 2015, knowingly place household sharps into a container intended for collection by a residential hauler for processing at a recycling center.

(B) In making its orders and determinations relative to penalties, if any, to be imposed for violating subdivision (A)(a) of this Section, the Board, in addition to the factors in Sections 33(c) and 42(h) of this Act, or the Court shall take into consideration whether the owner or operator of the landfill reasonably relied on written statements from the person generating or treating the waste that the waste is not potentially infectious medical waste.

(C) Notwithstanding subsection (A) or any other provision of law, including the Vital Records Act, tissue and products from an abortion, as defined in Section 1-10 of the Reproductive Health Act, or a miscarriage may be buried, entombed, or cremated.

(Source: P.A. 101-13, eff. 6-12-19.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.2)

Sec. 56.2. Regulations.

(a) No later than July 1, 1993, the Board shall adopt regulations in accordance with Title VII of this Act prescribing design and operating standards and criteria for all potentially infectious medical waste treatment, storage, and transfer facilities. At a minimum, these regulations shall require treatment of potentially infectious medical waste at a facility that:

(1) eliminates the infectious potential of the waste;
(2) prevents compaction and rupture of containers during handling operations;
(3) disposes of treatment residuals in accordance with this Act and regulations adopted thereunder;
(4) provides for quality assurance programs;
(5) provides for periodic testing using biological testing, where appropriate, that demonstrate proper treatment of the waste;
(6) provides for assurances that clearly demonstrate that potentially infectious medical waste has been properly treated; and
(7) is in compliance with all Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to environmental protection.

(b) After the effective date of the Board regulations adopted under subsection (a), each applicant for a potentially infectious medical waste treatment permit shall prove that the facility will not cause a violation of the Act or of regulations adopted thereunder.

(c) No later than July 1, 1993, the Board shall adopt regulations in accordance with Title VII of this Act prescribing standards and criteria for transporting, packaging, segregating, labeling, and marking potentially infectious medical waste.

(d) In accord with Title VII of this Act, no later than January 1, 1992, the Board shall repeal Subpart I of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 809.

(e) No later than January 1, 1992, the Board shall adopt rules that are identical in substance to the list of etiologic agents identified as Class 4 agents as set forth in "Classification of Etiological Agents on the Basis of Hazard, 1974", published by the Centers for Disease Control. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, any person, including the Agency, may propose rules under Section 28 to amend the listing of etiologic agents identified as Class 4 agents. When proposing rules, the proponent may consult classifications published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules" published by the National Institutes for Health, or "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories" published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Board shall take action on a proposal to amend the listing of Class 4 agents not later than 6 months after receiving it.

(f) In accord with Title VII of this Act, the Board may adopt regulations to promote the purposes of this Title. The regulations prescribed in subsection (a), (c), and (e) shall not limit the generality of this authority.

(Source: P.A. 102-243, eff. 8-3-21.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.3)

Sec. 56.3. Commencing March 31, 1993, and annually thereafter, each transporter of potentially infectious medical waste required to have a permit under subsection (f) of Section 56.1 of this Act, each facility for which a permit is required under subsection (g) of Section 56.1 of this Act that stores, treats, or transfers potentially infectious medical waste and each facility not required to have a permit under subsection (g) of Section 56.1 of this Act that treats more than 50 pounds per month of potentially infectious medical waste shall file a report with the Agency specifying the quantities and disposition of potentially infectious medical waste transported, stored, treated, disposed, or transferred during the previous calendar year. Such reports shall be on forms prescribed and provided by the Agency.

(Source: P.A. 87-752; 87-1097.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.4)

Sec. 56.4. Medical waste manifests.

(a) Manifests for potentially infectious medical waste shall consist of an original (the first page of the form) and 3 copies. Upon delivery of potentially infectious medical waste by a generator to a transporter, the transporter shall deliver one copy of the completed manifest to the generator. Upon delivery of potentially infectious medical waste by a transporter to a treatment or disposal facility, the transporter shall keep one copy of the completed manifest, and the transporter shall deliver the original and one copy of the completed manifest to the treatment or disposal facility. The treatment or disposal facility shall keep one copy of the completed manifest and return the original to the generator within 35 days. The manifest, as provided for in this Section, shall not terminate while being transferred between the generator, transporter, transfer station, or storage facility, unless transfer activities are conducted at the treatment or disposal facility. The manifest shall terminate at the treatment or disposal facility.

(b) Potentially infectious medical waste manifests shall be in a form prescribed and provided by the Agency. Generators and transporters of potentially infectious medical waste and facilities accepting potentially infectious medical waste are not required to submit copies of such manifests to the Agency. The manifest described in this Section shall be used for the transportation of potentially infectious medical waste instead of the manifest described in Section 22.01 of this Act. Copies of each manifest shall be retained for 3 years by generators, transporters, and facilities, and shall be available for inspection and copying by the Agency.

(c) The Agency shall assess a fee of $4.00 for each potentially infectious medical waste manifest provided by the Agency.

(d) All fees collected by the Agency under this Section shall be deposited into the Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund. The Agency may establish procedures relating to the collection of fees under this Section. The Agency shall not refund any fee paid to it under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.5)

Sec. 56.5. Medical waste hauling fees.

(a) The Agency shall annually collect a $2000 fee for each potentially infectious medical waste hauling permit application and, in addition, shall collect a fee of $250 for each potentially infectious medical waste hauling vehicle identified in the annual permit application and for each vehicle that is added to the permit during the annual period. Each applicant required to pay a fee under this Section shall submit the fee along with the permit application. The Agency shall deny any permit application for which a fee is required under this Section that does not contain the appropriate fee.

(b) All fees collected by the Agency under this Section shall be deposited into the Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund. The Agency may establish procedures relating to the collection of fees under this Section. The Agency shall not refund any fee paid to it under this Section.

(c) The Agency shall not collect a fee under this Section from any hospital that transports only potentially infectious medical waste generated by its own activities or by members of its medical staff.

(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1056.6)

Sec. 56.6. Medical waste transportation fees.

(a) The Agency shall collect from each transporter of potentially infectious medical waste required to have a permit under Section 56.1(f) of this Act a fee in the amount of 3 cents per pound of potentially infectious medical waste transported. The Agency shall collect from each transporter of potentially infectious medical waste not required to have a permit under Section 56.1(f)(1)(A) of this Act a fee in the amount of 3 cents per pound of potentially infectious medical waste transported to a site or facility not owned, controlled, or operated by the transporter. The Agency shall deny any permit required under Section 56.1(f) of this Act from any applicant who has not paid to the Agency all fees due under this Section.

A fee in the amount of 3 cents per pound of potentially infectious medical waste shall be collected by the Agency from a potentially infectious medical waste storage site or treatment facility receiving potentially infectious medical waste, unless the fee has been previously paid by a transporter.

(b) The Agency shall establish procedures, not later than January 1, 1992, relating to the collection of the fees authorized by this Section. These procedures shall include, but not be limited to: (i) necessary records identifying the quantities of potentially infectious medical waste transported; (ii) the form and submission of reports to accompany the payment of fees to the Agency; and (iii) the time and manner of payment of fees to the Agency, which payments shall be not more often than quarterly.

(c) All fees collected by the Agency under this Section shall be deposited into the Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund. The Agency may establish procedures relating to the collection of fees under this Section. The Agency shall not refund any fee paid to it under this Section.

(d) The Agency shall not collect a fee under this Section from a person transporting potentially infectious medical waste to a hospital when the person is a member of the hospital's medical staff.

(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.7)

Sec. 56.7. No permit shall be required under subsection (d)(1) of Section 21 or subsection (g) of Section 56.1 of this Act for a sharps collection station if the station is operated in accordance with all of the following:

(1) The only waste accepted at the sharps collection station is (i) hypodermic, intravenous, or other medical needles or syringes or other sharps, or (ii) medical household waste containing used or unused sharps, including but not limited to, hypodermic, intravenous, or other medical needles or syringes or other sharps.
(2) The waste is stored and transferred in the same manner as required for potentially infectious medical waste under this Act and under Board regulations.
(3) The waste is not treated at the sharps collection station unless it is treated in the same manner as required for potentially infectious medical waste under this Act and under Board regulations.
(4) The waste is not disposed of at the sharps collection station.
(5) The waste is transported in the same manner as required for potentially infectious medical waste under this Act and under Board regulations.

(Source: P.A. 94-641, eff. 8-22-05.)

(415 ILCS 5/56.8)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2022)

Sec. 56.8. Pharmaceutical Disposal Task Force.

(a) The Pharmaceutical Disposal Task Force is created. The Task Force shall coordinate a statewide public information campaign to highlight the benefits of and opportunities to properly dispose of pharmaceutical products. The campaign shall be implemented by the Agency, in coordination with the Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education. The publicity of the campaign shall include, as appropriate, opportunities to properly dispose of pharmaceutical products provided by:

(1) local police departments and local governments,
(2) pharmacies,
(3) long-term hazardous waste facilities,
(4) hazardous-waste collection events,
(5) the Agency,
(6) the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and
(7) other public or private efforts to properly dispose of pharmaceuticals.

The campaign shall address students, seniors, and at-risk populations and shall outline the public health benefits of proper disposal of unused pharmaceutical products and the dangers and risks of their improper disposal.

(b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members appointed by the Director of the Agency:

(1) one representative of the Agency, who shall serve as the chair of the Task Force;
(2) one representative of the Department of Public Health;
(3) one representative of the Illinois State Board of Education;
(4) one representative of a statewide organization representing pharmacists;
(5) one representative of a statewide organization representing agricultural interests;
(6) one representative of a statewide organization representing environmental concerns;
(7) one representative of a statewide organization representing physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches;
(8) one representative of a statewide organization representing coroners;
(9) one representative of a statewide organization representing pharmaceutical manufacturers; and
(10) one representative of a statewide organization representing retailers.

If a vacancy occurs in the Task Force membership, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Task Force members shall not receive compensation for their service on the Task Force. The Agency shall provide the Task Force with administrative and other support.

(Source: P.A. 100-925, eff. 1-1-19.)

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