130th Ohio General Assembly
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As Reported by the Senate Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Committee

122nd General Assembly
Regular Session
1997-1998
Sub. S. B. No. 153

SENATORS SUHADOLNIK-GAETH-WHITE-SWEENEY-DIX


A BILL
To amend section 3734.01 of the Revised Code to clarify the definition of "infectious wastes" in the Solid, Infectious, and Hazardous Waste Law through the inclusion of references to zoonotic diseases.

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


Section 1. That section 3734.01 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3734.01. As used in this chapter:

(A) "Board of health" means the board of health of a city or general health district or the authority having the duties of a board of health in any city as authorized by section 3709.05 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Director" means the director of environmental protection.

(C) "Health district" means a city or general health district as created by or under authority of Chapter 3709. of the Revised Code.

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

(E) "Solid wastes" means such unwanted residual solid or semisolid material as results from industrial, commercial, agricultural, and community operations, excluding earth or material from construction, mining, or demolition operations, or other waste materials of the type that normally would be included in demolition debris, nontoxic fly ash and bottom ash, including at least ash that results from the combustion of coal and ash that results from the combustion of coal in combination with scrap tires where scrap tires comprise not more than fifty per cent of heat input in any month, spent nontoxic foundry sand, and slag and other substances that are not harmful or inimical to public health, and includes, but is not limited to, garbage, scrap tires, combustible and noncombustible material, street dirt, and debris. "Solid wastes" does not include any material that is an infectious waste or a hazardous waste.

(F) "Disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, emitting, or placing of any solid wastes or hazardous waste into or on any land or ground or surface water or into the air, except if the disposition or placement constitutes storage or treatment or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, the disposition or placement constitutes a beneficial use or occurs at a scrap tire recovery facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Person" includes the state, any political subdivision and other state or local body, the United States and any agency or instrumentality thereof, and any legal entity defined as a person under section 1.59 of the Revised Code.

(H) "Open burning" means the burning of solid wastes in an open area or burning of solid wastes in a type of chamber or vessel that is not approved or authorized in rules adopted by the director under section 3734.02 of the Revised Code or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, in rules adopted under division (V) of this section or section 3734.73 of the Revised Code, or the burning of treated or untreated infectious wastes in an open area or in a type of chamber or vessel that is not approved in rules adopted by the director under section 3734.021 of the Revised Code.

(I) "Open dumping" means the depositing of solid wastes into a body or stream of water or onto the surface of the ground at a site that is not licensed as a solid waste facility under section 3734.05 of the Revised Code or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, as a scrap tire collection, storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; the depositing of solid wastes that consist of scrap tires onto the surface of the ground at a site or in a manner not specifically identified in divisions (C)(2) to (5), (7), or (10) of section 3734.85 of the Revised Code; the depositing of untreated infectious wastes into a body or stream of water or onto the surface of the ground; or the depositing of treated infectious wastes into a body or stream of water or onto the surface of the ground at a site that is not licensed as a solid waste facility under section 3734.05 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Hazardous waste" means any waste or combination of wastes in solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous form that in the determination of the director, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, may do either of the following:

(1) Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness;

(2) Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or safety or to the environment when improperly stored, treated, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.

"Hazardous waste" includes any substance identified by regulation as hazardous waste under the "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976," 90 Stat. 2806, 42 U.S.C.A. 6921, as amended, and does not include any substance that is subject to the "Atomic Energy Act of 1954," 68 Stat. 919, 42 U.S.C.A. 2011, as amended.

(K) "Treat" or "treatment," when used in connection with hazardous waste, means any method, technique, or process designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or composition of any hazardous waste; to neutralize the waste; to recover energy or material resources from the waste; to render the waste nonhazardous or less hazardous, safer to transport, store, or dispose of, or amenable for recovery, storage, further treatment, or disposal; or to reduce the volume of the waste. When used in connection with infectious wastes, "treat" or "treatment" means any method, technique, or process designed to render the wastes noninfectious, including, without limitation, steam sterilization and incineration, or, in the instance of wastes identified in division (R)(7) of this section, to substantially reduce or eliminate the potential for the wastes to cause lacerations or puncture wounds.

(L) "Manifest" means the form used for identifying the quantity, composition, origin, routing, and destination of hazardous waste during its transportation from the point of generation to the point of disposal, treatment, or storage.

(M) "Storage," when used in connection with hazardous waste, means the holding of hazardous waste for a temporary period in such a manner that it remains retrievable and substantially unchanged physically and chemically and, at the end of the period, is treated; disposed of; stored elsewhere; or reused, recycled, or reclaimed in a beneficial manner. When used in connection with solid wastes that consist of scrap tires, "storage" means the holding of scrap tires for a temporary period in such a manner that they remain retrievable and, at the end of that period, are beneficially used; stored elsewhere; placed in a scrap tire monocell or monofill facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; processed at a scrap tire recovery facility licensed under that section or a solid waste incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation under this chapter; or transported to a scrap tire monocell, monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste facility authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a facility that will beneficially use the scrap tires, that is located in another state and is operating in compliance with the laws of the state in which the facility is located.

(N) "Facility" means any site, location, tract of land, installation, or building used for incineration, composting, sanitary landfilling, or other methods of disposal of solid wastes or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, for the collection, storage, or processing of the solid wastes; for the transfer of solid wastes; for the treatment of infectious wastes; or for the storage, treatment, or disposal of hazardous waste.

(O) "Closure" means the time at which a hazardous waste facility will no longer accept hazardous waste for treatment, storage, or disposal, the time at which a solid waste facility will no longer accept solid wastes for transfer or disposal or, if the solid wastes consist of scrap tires, for storage or processing, or the effective date of an order revoking the permit for a hazardous waste facility or the registration certificate, permit, or license for a solid waste facility, as applicable. "Closure" includes measures performed to protect public health or safety, to prevent air or water pollution, or to make the facility suitable for other uses, if any, including, but not limited to, the removal of processing residues resulting from solid wastes that consist of scrap tires; the establishment and maintenance of a suitable cover of soil and vegetation over cells in which hazardous waste or solid wastes are buried; minimization of erosion, the infiltration of surface water into such cells, the production of leachate, and the accumulation and runoff of contaminated surface water; the final construction of facilities for the collection and treatment of leachate and contaminated surface water runoff, except as otherwise provided in this division; the final construction of air and water quality monitoring facilities, except as otherwise provided in this division; the final construction of methane gas extraction and treatment systems; or the removal and proper disposal of hazardous waste or solid wastes from a facility when necessary to protect public health or safety or to abate or prevent air or water pollution. With regard to a solid waste facility that is a scrap tire facility, "closure" includes the final construction of facilities for the collection and treatment of leachate and contaminated surface water runoff and the final construction of air and water quality monitoring facilities only if those actions are determined to be necessary.

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

(1) Geographically contiguous property owned by a generator;

(2) Noncontiguous property that is owned by a generator and connected by a right-of-way that the generator controls and to which the public does not have access. Two or more pieces of property that are geographically contiguous and divided by public or private right-of-way or rights-of-way are a single premises.

(Q) "Post-closure" means that period of time following closure during which a hazardous waste facility is required to be monitored and maintained under this chapter and rules adopted under it, including, without limitation, operation and maintenance of methane gas extraction and treatment systems, or the period of time after closure during which a scrap tire monocell or monofill facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code is required to be monitored and maintained under this chapter and rules adopted under it.

(R) "Infectious wastes" includes all of the following substances or categories of substances:

(1) Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, including, without limitation, specimen cultures, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, wastes from production of biologicals, and discarded live and attenuated vaccines;

(2) Laboratory wastes that were, or are likely to have been, in contact with infectious agents that may present a substantial threat to public health if improperly managed;

(3) Pathological wastes, including, without limitation, human and animal tissues, organs, and body parts, and body fluids and excreta that are contaminated with or are likely to be contaminated with infectious agents, removed or obtained during surgery or autopsy or for diagnostic evaluation, PROVIDED THAT, WITH REGARD TO PATHOLOGICAL WASTES FROM ANIMALS, THE ANIMALS HAVE OR ARE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS AGENT;

(4) Waste materials from the rooms of humans, or the enclosures of animals, that have been isolated because of diagnosed communicable disease that are likely to transmit infectious agents. Such waste materials from the rooms of humans do not include any wastes of patients who have been placed on blood and body fluid precautions under the universal precaution system established by the centers for disease control in the public health service of the United States department of health and human services, except to the extent specific wastes generated under the universal precautions system have been identified as infectious wastes by rules adopted under division (R)(8) of this section.

(5) Human and animal blood specimens and blood products that are being disposed of, except PROVIDED that, WITH REGARD TO BLOOD SPECIMENS AND BLOOD PRODUCTS FROM ANIMALS, THE ANIMALS WERE OR ARE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS AGENT. "blood BLOOD products" does not include patient care waste such as bandages or disposable gowns that are lightly soiled with blood or other body fluids unless those wastes are soiled to the extent that the generator of the wastes determines that they should be managed as infectious wastes;.

(6) Contaminated carcasses, body parts, and bedding of animals that were intentionally exposed to infectious agents FROM ZOONOTIC OR HUMAN DISEASES during research, production of biologicals, or testing of pharmaceuticals, and carcasses and bedding of animals otherwise infected BY ZOONOTIC OR INFECTIOUS AGENTS that may present a substantial threat to public health if improperly managed;

(7) Sharp wastes used in the treatment, diagnosis, or inoculation of human beings or animals or that have, or are likely to have, come in contact with infectious agents in medical, research, or industrial laboratories, including, without limitation, hypodermic needles and syringes, scalpel blades, and glass articles that have been broken;

(8) Any other waste materials generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, that the public health council created in section 3701.33 of the Revised Code, by rules adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, identifies as infectious wastes after determining that the wastes present a substantial threat to human health when improperly managed because they are contaminated with, or are likely to be contaminated with, infectious agents.

(S) "Infectious agent" means a type of microorganism, helminth, or virus that causes, or significantly contributes to the cause of, increased morbidity or mortality of human beings.

(T) "Board of county commissioners" includes, in addition to any such board selected under Chapter 302. or 305. of the Revised Code, any legislative authority that a county establishes under Sections 3 and 4 of Article X, Ohio Constitution "ZOONOTIC AGENT" MEANS A TYPE OF MICROORGANISM, HELMINTH, OR VIRUS THAT CAUSES DISEASE IN VERTEBRATE ANIMALS AND THAT IS TRANSMISSIBLE TO HUMAN BEINGS AND CAUSES OR SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE CAUSE OF INCREASED MORBIDITY OR MORTALITY OF HUMAN BEINGS.

(U) "Solid waste transfer facility" means any site, location, tract of land, installation, or building that is used or intended to be used primarily for the purpose of transferring solid wastes that were generated off the premises of the facility from vehicles or containers into other vehicles for transportation to a solid waste disposal facility. "Solid waste transfer facility" does not include any facility that consists solely of portable containers that have an aggregate volume of fifty cubic yards or less nor any facility where legitimate recycling activities are conducted.

(V) "Beneficially use" means to use a scrap tire in a manner that results in a commodity for sale or exchange or in any other manner authorized as a beneficial use in rules adopted by the director in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(W) "Commercial car," "commercial tractor," "farm machinery," "motor bus," "vehicles," "motor vehicle," and "semitrailer" have the same meanings as in section 4501.01 of the Revised Code.

(X) "Construction equipment" means road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work, or in mining or producing or processing aggregates, and not designed for or used in general highway transportation.

(Y) "Motor vehicle salvage dealer" has the same meaning as in section 4738.01 of the Revised Code.

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

(AA) "Scrap tire collection facility" means any facility that meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) The facility is used for the receipt and storage of whole scrap tires from the public prior to their transportation to a scrap tire storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; a solid waste incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation under this chapter; a premises within the state where the scrap tires will be beneficially used; or a scrap tire storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste disposal facility authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a facility that will beneficially use the scrap tires, that is located in another state, and that is operating in compliance with the laws of the state in which the facility is located;

(2) The facility exclusively stores scrap tires in portable containers;

(3) The aggregate storage of the portable containers in which the scrap tires are stored does not exceed five thousand cubic feet.

(BB) "Scrap tire monocell facility" means an individual site within a solid waste landfill that is used exclusively for the environmentally sound storage or disposal of whole scrap tires or scrap tires that have been shredded, chipped, or otherwise mechanically processed.

(CC) "Scrap tire monofill facility" means an engineered facility used or intended to be used exclusively for the storage or disposal of scrap tires, including at least facilities for the submergence of whole scrap tires in a body of water.

(DD) "Scrap tire recovery facility" means any facility, or portion thereof, for the processing of scrap tires for the purpose of extracting or producing usable products, materials, or energy from the scrap tires through a controlled combustion process, mechanical process, or chemical process. "Scrap tire recovery facility" includes any facility that uses the controlled combustion of scrap tires in a manufacturing process to produce process heat or steam or any facility that produces usable heat or electric power through the controlled combustion of scrap tires in combination with another fuel, but does not include any solid waste incineration or energy recovery facility that is designed, constructed, and used for the primary purpose of incinerating mixed municipal solid wastes and that burns scrap tires in conjunction with mixed municipal solid wastes, or any tire retreading business, tire manufacturing finishing center, or tire adjustment center having on the premises of the business a single, covered scrap tire storage area at which not more than four thousand scrap tires are stored.

(EE) "Scrap tire storage facility" means any facility where whole scrap tires are stored prior to their transportation to a scrap tire monocell, monofill, or recovery facility licensed under section 3734.81 of the Revised Code; a solid waste incineration or energy recovery facility subject to regulation under this chapter; a premises within the state where the scrap tires will be beneficially used; or a scrap tire storage, monocell, monofill, or recovery facility, any other solid waste disposal facility authorized to dispose of scrap tires, or a facility that will beneficially use the scrap tires, that is located in another state, and that is operating in compliance with the laws of the state in which the facility is located.

(FF) "Used oil" means any oil that has been refined from crude oil, or any synthetic oil, that has been used and, as a result of that use, is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. "Used oil" includes only those substances identified as used oil by the United States environmental protection agency under the "Used Oil Recycling Act of 1980," 94 Stat. 2055, 42 U.S.C.A. 6901a, as amended.


Section 2. That existing section 3734.01 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
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