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<br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION <br />REQUESTING THE ADOPTION OF STATE RULES REQUIRING <br />EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR <br />HOSPITAL, MEDICAL AND INFECTIOUS WASTE INCINERATORS <br />WHEREAS, on October 6, 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency <br />("USEPA") adopted Federal regulations in 40 CFR 60 Subpart Ce, entitled "Emission <br />Guidelines and Compliance Times for HospitallMedical/Infectious Waste Incinerators" <br />for existing medical waste incinerators ("New Federal Standards"); and <br />WHEREAS, the New Federal Standards establish lower emission rates and additional <br />operating conditions than existing State and prior Federal regulation; and <br />WHEREAS, the New Federal Standards require states to promulgate new state rules that <br />will require existing medical waste incinerators to comply with the New Federal <br />Standards no later than October 6, 2014, and to obtain USEPA approval of the new state <br />rules within two years after October 6, 2009; and <br />WHEREAS, a public hearing is scheduled <br />renewal for a medical waste incinerator in <br />owned by Stericycle, Incorporated; and <br />for May 25, 2010 for the "Title V" permit <br />Haw River in adjoining Alamance County <br />WHEREAS, the timing of this permit renewal is such that renewal will occur prior to <br />implementation of the new USEPA rules by the North Carolina Environmental <br />Management Commission; and <br />WHEREAS, Stericycle's annual waste incineration at its facility was reported as over 26 <br />million pounds last year, with the potential for prevailing westerly winds to cant' <br />emissions into Orange County from this location, and <br />WHEREAS, public concerns regarding medical waste incineration have been recently <br />expressed by other local governments, specifically Mecklenburg County, the nearby <br />Towns of Matthews and Stallings, and members of the public and environmental groups; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, the USEPA's action effectively provided notice that emission rates and <br />other requirements would change; and <br />WHEREAS, a three year advance notice period for compliance would be consistent with <br />USEPA's approach in regulating existing affected sources under the Maximum Available <br />Control Technology (MACT) program; and <br />