ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September 27,
1974
DECATUR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL,
Petitioner,
V.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY,
Respondent.
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by Dr. Odell)
On July 19,
1974,
Decatur Memorial Hos~itai (0MB)
filed
a Petition for
Variance,
seeking relief from Rule 203(e) (3)
of
the Air Pollution Regulations
(Chapter Two),
which limits emissions
of particulate matter from incinerators to no more than 0,2 grains
per standard cubic foot of effluent gases corrected to
12 per cent
carbon dioxide,
In its disposal operations, Petitioner uses
several pathological and hospital waste incinerators.
A Goder
hospital waste incinerator
is used to burn approximately 183 pounds
per day of contaminated waste material generated from the Hospital’s
treatment of patients who suffer from highly contagious diseases such
as tuberculosis, staph aureus, and hepatitis.
The contaminated
waste
is sealed in large bags and hauled to the Hospital’s waste
incinerator.
DMH is a not-for—profit community hospital serving
Decatur and environs.
16,000 patients are admitted yearly; another
90,000 patients are treated annually on an out—patient basis,
Petitioner stated that alternative means were not presently
available to dispose of the waste.
First,
a pathological incinerator
could be utilized but would “present grave dangers of cross—con-
tamination to personnel and the environment.”
Danger would result
from employees having to open the large sealed bags
in order to put
the contaminated waste into the incinerator.
0MB offered no explana-
tion why smaller sealed bags could not be burned in the pathological
incinerator.
Second, hauling the waste to a landfill would create
the possibility of contamination to the public;
this procedure was
strongly condemned by the Macon County Health Department. Petitioner
now is investigating other disposal methods, including incineration,
sterilization, recycling, and compaction.
0MB estimated that what-
ever system is chosen~it can be
operating
by approximately May,
1975.
Petitioner stated that neither odor nor particulate emission com-
plaints have been received from area residents.
The Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency)
filed its
Recommendation on August 22,
1974.
The Agency advised that the
Variance be granted.
The Agency’s investigation revealed that con-
taminated material is collected daily from around the hospital and
taken to the incinerator for burning.
Two years ago, approximately
1500 pounds per day of waste were classified as contaminated and
required incineration.
This has been reduced to
183 pounds.
The
Agency estimated
‘that 0.6 pounds per hour of particulates are
emitted when 183 pounds per day of material are burned.
Allowable
emission rate under Rule
203(e) (3),
as converted,
is
0.44 pounds
per hour.
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The Agency agreed with the Petitioner that
the
alternative
means of disposal presently available
—
pathological incineration
and landfill disposal
-
both create potential health hazards; the
Agency stated that no member of the public objected to the grant
of the Variance.
We grant the Variance.
To deny it would impose an unreason-
able hardship upon the Hospital and expose the public to a health
risk.
Alternative means of compliance are not presently available,
but efforts are underway to bring about
conformity with Rule 203(e)
(3),
Finally,
it appears unlikely that the excess emission of
approximately 0.16 pounds per hour of particulate matter will have
any severe impact on the environment.
ORDER
Decatur Memorial Hospital is granted
a Variance to operate
one of
its existing Goder
incinerators in excess of the standard
set forth in Rule
203(e) (3)
of Chapter Two until May
1,
1975, sub-
ject to the following conditions:
(a)
Petitioner shall burn no more than 183 pounds per day
of contaminated waste in its Goder incinerator unless demanded
by reasons of public health and safety.
(b)
Petitioner shall make attempts to utilize small sealed
bags capable of being burned without opening in its pathological
incinerator.
Such bags should be utilized to enable Petitioner
to
comply with Rule 203(e) (3).
(c)
Within sixty
(60)
days from the adoption of this Order,
Petitioner shall submit to:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Division of Air Pollution Control
Control Program Coordinator
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, Illinois 62706
a program and a schedule for purchase of a complying incinerator
or other alternate method of compliance to be instituted at said
hospital by May
1,
1975.
Cd)
Petitioner shall institute proper procedures to insure
the use of the primary burner on
the
Goder incinerator during its
operation.
IT
IS SO ORDERED.
I,
Christan L, Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the above Opinion and Order was adopted
on the~
day
of
,
1974,
by a vote of
to
Christan
L.
Mof
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