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Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services
 A Stanton employee loads up the hospital's biomedical waste incinerator. - NNSL file photo |
In mid-July, Yellowknifer discovered Stanton was not properly disposing of the bottom ash remaining after biomedical waste incineration.
At Stanton, between 175 and 250 kilograms of biomedical waste is burned daily. That waste includes materials that come into contact with blood products, needles and other sharps, specimen jars, bandages, wet dressings, chemotherapy drugs and other pharmaceuticals.
The bottom ash remaining after incineration, which potentially could be toxic, was being dumped into the landfill with regular garbage. The proper method of bottom ash disposal is to place it into a container or separate area of the city landfill and bury it, according to the territorial Environmental Protection Service.
EPS took an interest in the hospital's management of biomedical waste as a result of Yellowknifer coverage and ordered hospital staff to change their ways.
"We have directed that they not put the ash in with the domestic waste, but that it be placed in a separate location... where it won't be dug up again. It's away from people who are salvaging at the landfill," said Emery Paquin, director of EPS.
Paquin commenced a review with Stanton to determine whether the 17-year-old incinerator was operating properly.
After consulting with hospital staff, Paquin concluded "their procedures are correct, they are not putting anything in the incinerator that they shouldn't be" and the incinerator is operating up to the manufacturer's specifications.
While there are no federal regulations specifying operating temperatures, Paquin said incinerators should burn as hot as possible -- ideally up to 1,300 C -- in order to kill all potentially infectious bacteria. Stanton's aged incinerator, however, can only burn up to a maximum of 900 C. Paquin said "it would be unsafe" to heat it beyond that temperature.
Eventually, Stanton's incinerator will have to be upgraded or replaced.
New federal regulations for dioxins and furans emissions are expected by 2006. Paquin "doesn't believe (Stanton's) incinerator will be able to meet" those guidelines.
That's why the territorial Department of Health and Social Services is currently reviewing biomedical waste practices in the NWT. The review is expected to wrap up this fall.
In June, biomedical incineration at the Hay River hospital ceased when staff became concerned that it was not working properly. Fort Smith's was shut down two years ago when residents complained thick black smoke was leaking from the stack.
A new incinerator would cost a minimum of $250,000, according to Paquin, but the price could run much higher depending on the size required.
