Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A.
Category A waste shall be managed in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
B. Overarching Planning
Considerations and Waste Generator Information and Responsibilities for
Category A waste are specified in Sections 3 and 5 of Managing Solid Waste
Contaminated with a Category A Infectious Substance. In addition to the general
management requirements for regulated medical waste in Part III (9VAC20-121-100 et seq.), all
Category A waste shall be handled in accordance with the following additional
requirements:
1. Every effort shall be made to
minimize the amount of Category A waste generated. Category A waste shall be
physically separated, if practical, from other types of waste at the point of
origin. When other types of regulated medical waste are mixed with Category A
waste, the mixture shall be managed as Category A waste. Category A wastes not
suitable for conventional treatment methods, such as batteries, electronics,
and oxygen cylinders, shall be segregated from other waste at the point of
generation for special handling.
2.
All handling, storage, transfer, and treatment of Category A waste must be
conducted in areas with cleanable and impermeable surfaces. Carpets and floor
coverings with cracks or gaps shall not be used. Where tile floors are used and
seams are present in the tile, the floor must be sealed with wax or other floor
coatings in order to meet this requirement.
3. Equipment and handling techniques that
could potentially cause bioaerosols, such as cart tipping, slides, conveyors,
and mechanical cleaning or disinfection systems, shall not be used for Category
A waste unless the movement and impact is controlled to maintain the integrity
of the packaging, prevent exposure to the waste, and any aerosol, bioaerosol,
or mist caused by the process is collected and treated or filtered.
4. Category A waste shall not be conveyed in
reusable carts or containers unless the containers are subsequently cleaned and
disinfected in accordance with
9VAC20-121-130 using an
EPA-registered disinfectant appropriate for the type of Category A waste
managed and materials being disinfected.
5. All spills of Category A waste shall be
cleaned and disinfected in accordance with
9VAC20-121-140 using an
EPA-registered disinfectant appropriate for the type of Category A waste
managed and materials being disinfected.
6. Category A waste shall be stored in
accordance with the requirements of
9VAC20-121-120 B and C. Packages or
containers of Category A waste shall not be stacked.
7. A generator storing 250 gallons or more of
Category A waste shall notify the department within 24 hours of exceeding 250
gallons. At least once per calendar week, accumulated Category A waste shall be
treated onsite in accordance with this section or shipped offsite to a facility
permitted to receive it for treatment or disposal. No Category A waste shall be
stored onsite for more than 10 calendar days unless an extended storage
timeframe is approved by the department. Records shall be maintained in
accordance with
9VAC20-121-100 I.
8. The regulated medical waste transfer
station or treatment facility shall notify DEQ of receipt of any Category A
waste in accordance with
9VAC20-121-340.
C. Waste Transporter Information
and Responsibilities for Category A waste are specified in Section 6 of
Managing Solid Waste Contaminated with a Category A Infectious Substance.
Packaging and labeling of Category A waste for transport must comply with the
more stringent packaging standards of 49 CFR Parts 171 through 180 of the HMR,
or may require a Department of Transportation special permit for an exception
to the HMR requirements to allow for alternative packaging to accommodate the
waste.
D. Waste Treatment
Information and Responsibilities for Category A waste are specified in Section
7 of Managing Solid Waste Contaminated with a Category A Infectious Substance.
In addition to the general treatment requirements for regulated medical waste
in Part IV (9VAC20-121-200 et seq.), all
Category A waste shall be treated in accordance with the following additional
requirements:
1. A facility shall only
receive Category A waste for processing or treatment upon specific approval
from the director or by specific provisions within the facility's
permit.
2. Prior to treatment of
any Category A waste, the facility shall notify DEQ and conduct additional
validation testing in accordance with
9VAC20-121-260 and an approved
treatment plan that is specific to the Category A waste stream and packaging
types that will be received.
3. The
treatment method and operating parameters shall be appropriate and effective
for the type of Category A waste being managed. Treatment units that employ a
mechanical process, such as grinding or shredding, prior to treatment or
integral to the treatment unit, may not be appropriate for Category A waste
streams. The facility shall demonstrate that the process prevents employee
exposure to the waste; contains any aerosol, bioaerosol, or mist caused by the
process; and treats or filters any air evacuated from the chamber during
processing.
4. The facility shall
not receive or treat Category A waste until the department has reviewed and
approved the validation results, operating parameters, and protocols to be used
for the treatment unit.
5.
Treatment of Category A waste shall only be in accordance with the operating
parameters and protocols approved by the department.
6. Challenge testing shall be performed and
documented for every load containing Category A waste. The facility may request
an alternate challenge test frequency once a high level of confidence is
established that the Category A waste is being effectively treated.
7. The owner or operator shall provide a
certification that the regulated medical waste management plan demonstrates
protocols specific to the Category A waste stream to be treated and meets all
additional standards of Part III (9VAC20-121-100 et
seq.) and Part IV (9VAC20-121-200 et seq.), as
applicable, in accordance with
9VAC20-121-330. The plan shall
specify if and how management protocols for Category A waste differ from
existing protocols for routinely received regulated medical waste, including
how treated wastes will be disposed. The certification shall also include a
statement that the emergency contingency plan has been provided to the local
police and fire departments, local emergency manager, and local emergency
health coordinator.
E.
Final Disposal Information and Responsibilities for Category A waste are
specified in Section 8 of Managing Solid Waste Contaminated with a Category A
Infectious Substance. Category A waste shall be disposed of in accordance with
the following requirements:
1. Category A
waste that has been treated in accordance with the special requirements of this
section is no longer Category A waste or regulated medical waste. Category A
waste treated in accordance with this section is solid waste and shall be
disposed of at a permitted solid waste disposal facility, provided the disposal
is in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Regulations (9VAC20-81) and
the facility's permit.
2. Category
A waste not treated in accordance with this chapter shall not be transported
to, received for transport, or disposal by, or disposed of in, any solid waste
management facility.
Statutory Authority: § 10.1-1402 of the Code of
Virginia; 42 USC §
6941 et seq.; 40 CFR Part
257.
