Orange County NC Website
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 Hospital/Medical/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 for May 25, 2010 for the "Title V" permit <br /> renewal for a medical waste incinerator in Haw River in adjoining Alamance County <br /> owned by Stericycle, Incorporated; and <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 carry <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 />