As Reported by the Senate Energy, Natural Resources         1            

                    and Environment Committee                      2            

122nd General Assembly                                             5            

   Regular Session                             Sub. S. B. No. 153  6            

      1997-1998                                                    7            


           SENATORS SUHADOLNIK-GAETH-WHITE-SWEENEY-DIX             9            


                                                                   11           

                           A   B I L L                                          

             To amend section 3734.01 of the Revised Code to       13           

                clarify the definition of "infectious wastes" in   15           

                the Solid, Infectious, and Hazardous Waste Law                  

                through the inclusion of references to zoonotic    16           

                diseases.                                                       




BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:        18           

      Section 1.  That section 3734.01 of the Revised Code be      20           

amended to read as follows:                                        21           

      Sec. 3734.01.  As used in this chapter:                      30           

      (A)  "Board of health" means the board of health of a city   32           

or general health district or the authority having the duties of   33           

a board of health in any city as authorized by section 3709.05 of  34           

the Revised Code.                                                  35           

      (B)  "Director" means the director of environmental          37           

protection.                                                        38           

      (C)  "Health district" means a city or general health        40           

district as created by or under authority of Chapter 3709. of the  41           

Revised Code.                                                      42           

      (D)  "Agency" means the environmental protection agency.     44           

      (E)  "Solid wastes" means such unwanted residual solid or    46           

semisolid material as results from industrial, commercial,         47           

agricultural, and community operations, excluding earth or         48           

material from construction, mining, or demolition operations, or   49           

other waste materials of the type that normally would be included  50           

in demolition debris, nontoxic fly ash and bottom ash, including   51           

                                                          2      

                                                                 
at least ash that results from the combustion of coal and ash      52           

that results from the combustion of coal in combination with       53           

scrap tires where scrap tires comprise not more than fifty per     54           

cent of heat input in any month, spent nontoxic foundry sand, and  55           

slag and other substances that are not harmful or inimical to      56           

public health, and includes, but is not limited to, garbage,       57           

scrap tires, combustible and noncombustible material, street       58           

dirt, and debris.  "Solid wastes" does not include any material    59           

that is an infectious waste or a hazardous waste.                  60           

      (F)  "Disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection,     62           

dumping, spilling, leaking, emitting, or placing of any solid      63           

wastes or hazardous waste into or on any land or ground or         64           

surface water or into the air, except if the disposition or        65           

placement constitutes storage or treatment or, if the solid        66           

wastes consist of scrap tires, the disposition or placement        67           

constitutes a beneficial use or occurs at a scrap tire recovery    68           

facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code.       69           

      (G)  "Person" includes the state, any political subdivision  71           

and other state or local body, the United States and any agency    72           

or instrumentality thereof, and any legal entity defined as a      73           

person under section 1.59 of the Revised Code.                     74           

      (H)  "Open burning" means the burning of solid wastes in an  76           

open area or burning of solid wastes in a type of chamber or       77           

vessel that is not approved or authorized in rules adopted by the  78           

director under section 3734.02 of the Revised Code or, if the      79           

solid wastes consist of scrap tires, in rules adopted under        80           

division (V) of this section or section 3734.73 of the Revised     82           

Code, or the burning of treated or untreated infectious wastes in  83           

an open area or in a type of chamber or vessel that is not         84           

approved in rules adopted by the director under section 3734.021   85           

of the Revised Code.                                               86           

      (I)  "Open dumping" means the depositing of solid wastes     88           

into a body or stream of water or onto the surface of the ground   89           

at a site that is not licensed as a solid waste facility under     90           

                                                          3      

                                                                 
section 3734.05 of the Revised Code or, if the solid wastes        91           

consist of scrap tires, as a scrap tire collection, storage,       92           

monocell, monofill, or recovery facility under section 3734.81 of  93           

the Revised Code; the depositing of solid wastes that consist of   94           

scrap tires onto the surface of the ground at a site or in a       95           

manner not specifically identified in divisions (C)(2) to (5),     96           

(7), or (10) of section 3734.85 of the Revised Code; the           97           

depositing of untreated infectious wastes into a body or stream    98           

of water or onto the surface of the ground; or the depositing of   99           

treated infectious wastes into a body or stream of water or onto   100          

the surface of the ground at a site that is not licensed as a      101          

solid waste facility under section 3734.05 of the Revised Code.    102          

      (J)  "Hazardous waste" means any waste or combination of     104          

wastes in solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous form      105          

that in the determination of the director, because of its          106          

quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics,  107          

may do either of the following:                                    108          

      (1)  Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in     110          

mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or                111          

incapacitating reversible illness;                                 112          

      (2)  Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to       114          

human health or safety or to the environment when improperly       115          

stored, treated, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.   116          

      "Hazardous waste" includes any substance identified by       118          

regulation as hazardous waste under the "Resource Conservation     119          

and Recovery Act of 1976," 90 Stat. 2806, 42 U.S.C.A. 6921, as     120          

amended, and does not include any substance that is subject to     121          

the "Atomic Energy Act of 1954," 68 Stat. 919, 42 U.S.C.A. 2011,   122          

as amended.                                                        123          

      (K)  "Treat" or "treatment," when used in connection with    125          

hazardous waste, means any method, technique, or process designed  126          

to change the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics    127          

or composition of any hazardous waste; to neutralize the waste;    128          

to recover energy or material resources from the waste; to render  129          

                                                          4      

                                                                 
the waste nonhazardous or less hazardous, safer to transport,      130          

store, or dispose of, or amenable for recovery, storage, further   131          

treatment, or disposal; or to reduce the volume of the waste.      132          

When used in connection with infectious wastes, "treat" or         133          

"treatment" means any method, technique, or process designed to    134          

render the wastes noninfectious, including, without limitation,    135          

steam sterilization and incineration, or, in the instance of       136          

wastes identified in division (R)(7) of this section, to           137          

substantially reduce or eliminate the potential for the wastes to  138          

cause lacerations or puncture wounds.                              139          

      (L)  "Manifest" means the form used for identifying the      141          

quantity, composition, origin, routing, and destination of         142          

hazardous waste during its transportation from the point of        143          

generation to the point of disposal, treatment, or storage.        144          

      (M)  "Storage," when used in connection with hazardous       146          

waste, means the holding of hazardous waste for a temporary        147          

period in such a manner that it remains retrievable and            148          

substantially unchanged physically and chemically and, at the end  149          

of the period, is treated; disposed of; stored elsewhere; or       150          

reused, recycled, or reclaimed in a beneficial manner.  When used  151          

in connection with solid wastes that consist of scrap tires,       152          

"storage" means the holding of scrap tires for a temporary period  153          

in such a manner that they remain retrievable and, at the end of   154          

that period, are beneficially used; stored elsewhere; placed in a  155          

scrap tire monocell or monofill facility licensed under section    156          

3734.81 of the Revised Code; processed at a scrap tire recovery    157          

facility licensed under that section or a solid waste              158          

incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation     159          

under this chapter; or transported to a scrap tire monocell,       160          

monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste facility     161          

authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a facility that will      162          

beneficially use the scrap tires, that is located in another       163          

state and is operating in compliance with the laws of the state    164          

in which the facility is located.                                  165          

                                                          5      

                                                                 
      (N)  "Facility" means any site, location, tract of land,     167          

installation, or building used for incineration, composting,       168          

sanitary landfilling, or other methods of disposal of solid        169          

wastes or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, for the     170          

collection, storage, or processing of the solid wastes; for the    171          

transfer of solid wastes; for the treatment of infectious wastes;  172          

or for the storage, treatment, or disposal of hazardous waste.     173          

      (O)  "Closure" means the time at which a hazardous waste     175          

facility will no longer accept hazardous waste for treatment,      176          

storage, or disposal, the time at which a solid waste facility     177          

will no longer accept solid wastes for transfer or disposal or,    178          

if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, for storage or         179          

processing, or the effective date of an order revoking the permit  180          

for a hazardous waste facility or the registration certificate,    181          

permit, or license for a solid waste facility, as applicable.      182          

"Closure" includes measures performed to protect public health or  183          

safety, to prevent air or water pollution, or to make the          184          

facility suitable for other uses, if any, including, but not       185          

limited to, the removal of processing residues resulting from      186          

solid wastes that consist of scrap tires; the establishment and    187          

maintenance of a suitable cover of soil and vegetation over cells  188          

in which hazardous waste or solid wastes are buried; minimization  189          

of erosion, the infiltration of surface water into such cells,     190          

the production of leachate, and the accumulation and runoff of     191          

contaminated surface water; the final construction of facilities   192          

for the collection and treatment of leachate and contaminated      193          

surface water runoff, except as otherwise provided in this         194          

division; the final construction of air and water quality          195          

monitoring facilities, except as otherwise provided in this        196          

division; the final construction of methane gas extraction and     197          

treatment systems; or the removal and proper disposal of           198          

hazardous waste or solid wastes from a facility when necessary to  199          

protect public health or safety or to abate or prevent air or      200          

water pollution.  With regard to a solid waste facility that is a  201          

                                                          6      

                                                                 
scrap tire facility, "closure" includes the final construction of  202          

facilities for the collection and treatment of leachate and        203          

contaminated surface water runoff and the final construction of    204          

air and water quality monitoring facilities only if those actions  205          

are determined to be necessary.                                    206          

      (P)  "Premises" means either of the following:               208          

      (1)  Geographically contiguous property owned by a           210          

generator;                                                         211          

      (2)  Noncontiguous property that is owned by a generator     213          

and connected by a right-of-way that the generator controls and    215          

to which the public does not have access.  Two or more pieces of   216          

property that are geographically contiguous and divided by public  217          

or private right-of-way or rights-of-way are a single premises.    218          

      (Q)  "Post-closure" means that period of time following      220          

closure during which a hazardous waste facility is required to be  221          

monitored and maintained under this chapter and rules adopted      222          

under it, including, without limitation, operation and             223          

maintenance of methane gas extraction and treatment systems, or    224          

the period of time after closure during which a scrap tire         225          

monocell or monofill facility licensed under section 3734.81 of    226          

the Revised Code is required to be monitored and maintained under  227          

this chapter and rules adopted under it.                           228          

      (R)  "Infectious wastes" includes all of the following       230          

substances or categories of substances:                            231          

      (1)  Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and            233          

associated biologicals, including, without limitation, specimen    234          

cultures, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, wastes from    235          

production of biologicals, and discarded live and attenuated       236          

vaccines;                                                          237          

      (2)  Laboratory wastes that were, or are likely to have      239          

been, in contact with infectious agents that may present a         240          

substantial threat to public health if improperly managed;         241          

      (3)  Pathological wastes, including, without limitation,     243          

human and animal tissues, organs, and body parts, and body fluids  244          

                                                          7      

                                                                 
and excreta that are contaminated with or are likely to be         245          

contaminated with infectious agents, removed or obtained during    246          

surgery or autopsy or for diagnostic evaluation, PROVIDED THAT,    247          

WITH REGARD TO PATHOLOGICAL WASTES FROM ANIMALS, THE ANIMALS HAVE  248          

OR ARE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS     249          

AGENT;                                                                          

      (4)  Waste materials from the rooms of humans, or the        251          

enclosures of animals, that have been isolated because of          252          

diagnosed communicable disease that are likely to transmit         253          

infectious agents.  Such waste materials from the rooms of humans  254          

do not include any wastes of patients who have been placed on      255          

blood and body fluid precautions under the universal precaution    256          

system established by the centers for disease control in the       257          

public health service of the United States department of health    258          

and human services, except to the extent specific wastes           259          

generated under the universal precautions system have been         260          

identified as infectious wastes by rules adopted under division    261          

(R)(8) of this section.                                            262          

      (5)  Human and animal blood specimens and blood products     264          

that are being disposed of, except PROVIDED that, WITH REGARD TO   266          

BLOOD SPECIMENS AND BLOOD PRODUCTS FROM ANIMALS, THE ANIMALS WERE               

OR ARE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS     267          

AGENT.  "blood BLOOD products" does not include patient care       270          

waste such as bandages or disposable gowns that are lightly        271          

soiled with blood or other body fluids unless those wastes are     272          

soiled to the extent that the generator of the wastes determines   273          

that they should be managed as infectious wastes;.                 274          

      (6)  Contaminated carcasses, body parts, and bedding of      276          

animals that were intentionally exposed to infectious agents FROM  277          

ZOONOTIC OR HUMAN DISEASES during research, production of          279          

biologicals, or testing of pharmaceuticals, and carcasses and      280          

bedding of animals otherwise infected BY ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS    281          

AGENTS that may present a substantial threat to public health if   284          

improperly managed;                                                             

                                                          8      

                                                                 
      (7)  Sharp wastes used in the treatment, diagnosis, or       286          

inoculation of human beings or animals or that have, or are        287          

likely to have, come in contact with infectious agents in          288          

medical, research, or industrial laboratories, including, without  289          

limitation, hypodermic needles and syringes, scalpel blades, and   290          

glass articles that have been broken;                              291          

      (8)  Any other waste materials generated in the diagnosis,   293          

treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in          294          

research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of    295          

biologicals, that the public health council created in section     296          

3701.33 of the Revised Code, by rules adopted in accordance with   297          

Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, identifies as infectious wastes  298          

after determining that the wastes present a substantial threat to  299          

human health when improperly managed because they are              300          

contaminated with, or are likely to be contaminated with,          301          

infectious agents.                                                 302          

      (S)  "Infectious agent" means a type of microorganism,       304          

helminth, or virus that causes, or significantly contributes to    305          

the cause of, increased morbidity or mortality of human beings.    306          

      (T)  "Board of county commissioners" includes, in addition   308          

to any such board selected under Chapter 302. or 305. of the       309          

Revised Code, any legislative authority that a county establishes  310          

under Sections 3 and 4 of Article X, Ohio Constitution "ZOONOTIC   312          

AGENT" MEANS A TYPE OF MICROORGANISM, HELMINTH, OR VIRUS THAT      313          

CAUSES DISEASE IN VERTEBRATE ANIMALS AND THAT IS TRANSMISSIBLE TO  314          

HUMAN BEINGS AND CAUSES OR SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE CAUSE  315          

OF INCREASED MORBIDITY OR MORTALITY OF HUMAN BEINGS.               316          

      (U)  "Solid waste transfer facility" means any site,         318          

location, tract of land, installation, or building that is used    319          

or intended to be used primarily for the purpose of transferring   320          

solid wastes that were generated off the premises of the facility  321          

from vehicles or containers into other vehicles for                322          

transportation to a solid waste disposal facility.  "Solid waste   323          

transfer facility" does not include any facility that consists     324          

                                                          9      

                                                                 
solely of portable containers that have an aggregate volume of     325          

fifty cubic yards or less nor any facility where legitimate        326          

recycling activities are conducted.                                327          

      (V)  "Beneficially use" means to use a scrap tire in a       329          

manner that results in a commodity for sale or exchange or in any  330          

other manner authorized as a beneficial use in rules adopted by    331          

the director in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.  332          

      (W)  "Commercial car," "commercial tractor," "farm           334          

machinery," "motor bus," "vehicles," "motor vehicle," and          335          

"semitrailer" have the same meanings as in section 4501.01 of the  336          

Revised Code.                                                      337          

      (X)  "Construction equipment" means road rollers, traction   339          

engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in  340          

construction work, or in mining or producing or processing         341          

aggregates, and not designed for or used in general highway        342          

transportation.                                                    343          

      (Y)  "Motor vehicle salvage dealer" has the same meaning as  345          

in section 4738.01 of the Revised Code.                            346          

      (Z)  "Scrap tire" means an unwanted or discarded tire.       348          

      (AA)  "Scrap tire collection facility" means any facility    350          

that meets all of the following qualifications:                    351          

      (1)  The facility is used for the receipt and storage of     353          

whole scrap tires from the public prior to their transportation    354          

to a scrap tire storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility  355          

licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; a solid waste  356          

incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation     357          

under this chapter; a premises within the state where the scrap    358          

tires will be beneficially used; or a scrap tire storage,          359          

monocell, monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste    360          

disposal facility authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a       361          

facility that will beneficially use the scrap tires, that is       362          

located in another state, and that is operating in compliance      363          

with the laws of the state in which the facility is located;       364          

      (2)  The facility exclusively stores scrap tires in          366          

                                                          10     

                                                                 
portable containers;                                               367          

      (3)  The aggregate storage of the portable containers in     369          

which the scrap tires are stored does not exceed five thousand     370          

cubic feet.                                                        371          

      (BB)  "Scrap tire monocell facility" means an individual     373          

site within a solid waste landfill that is used exclusively for    374          

the environmentally sound storage or disposal of whole scrap       375          

tires or scrap tires that have been shredded, chipped, or          376          

otherwise mechanically processed.                                  377          

      (CC)  "Scrap tire monofill facility" means an engineered     379          

facility used or intended to be used exclusively for the storage   380          

or disposal of scrap tires, including at least facilities for the  381          

submergence of whole scrap tires in a body of water.               382          

      (DD)  "Scrap tire recovery facility" means any facility, or  384          

portion thereof, for the processing of scrap tires for the         385          

purpose of extracting or producing usable products, materials, or  386          

energy from the scrap tires through a controlled combustion        387          

process, mechanical process, or chemical process.  "Scrap tire     388          

recovery facility" includes any facility that uses the controlled  389          

combustion of scrap tires in a manufacturing process to produce    390          

process heat or steam or any facility that produces usable heat    391          

or electric power through the controlled combustion of scrap       392          

tires in combination with another fuel, but does not include any   393          

solid waste incineration or energy recovery facility that is       394          

designed, constructed, and used for the primary purpose of         395          

incinerating mixed municipal solid wastes and that burns scrap     396          

tires in conjunction with mixed municipal solid wastes, or any     397          

tire retreading business, tire manufacturing finishing center, or  398          

tire adjustment center having on the premises of the business a    399          

single, covered scrap tire storage area at which not more than     400          

four thousand scrap tires are stored.                              401          

      (EE)  "Scrap tire storage facility" means any facility       403          

where whole scrap tires are stored prior to their transportation   404          

to a scrap tire monocell, monofill, or recovery facility licensed  405          

                                                          11     

                                                                 
under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; a solid waste           406          

incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation     407          

under this chapter; a premises within the state where the scrap    408          

tires will be beneficially used; or a scrap tire storage,          409          

monocell, monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste    410          

disposal facility authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a       411          

facility that will beneficially use the scrap tires, that is       412          

located in another state, and that is operating in compliance      413          

with the laws of the state in which the facility is located.       414          

      (FF)  "Used oil" means any oil that has been refined from    417          

crude oil, or any synthetic oil, that has been used and, as a                   

result of that use, is contaminated by physical or chemical        418          

impurities.  "Used oil" includes only those substances identified  419          

as used oil by the United States environmental protection agency   420          

under the "Used Oil Recycling Act of 1980," 94 Stat. 2055, 42      421          

U.S.C.A. 6901a, as amended.                                                     

      Section 2.  That existing section 3734.01 of the Revised     423          

Code is hereby repealed.                                           424