EPA Exerting More Pressure on Hospitals

Mainstream press articles about medications discarded in water supplies, increased awareness about drug waste, and the change from the Bush to Obama administration all point to renewed interest by the EPA in hospital affairs, Smith said.

"We continue to hear of EPA audits both for pharm waste and other regulatory issues in healthcare," she added.

More emphasis may come from a new study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which concluded the healthcare industry accounts for 8% of the U.S. "carbon footprint," a term used to describe the total greenhouse gas emissions attributable to an organization or industry.

"I think there is increasing awareness that hospitals are large contributors to both the economy and then, by association, carbon footprint, so there is a raised awareness surrounding hospitals as they relate to energy use, waste generation, toxicity, and also large amounts of new construction and renovations," said Janet Brown, director of facility engagement for Practice Greenhealth, a national membership organization that promotes environmental improvements in healthcare.

In other healthcare-related actions this year, the EPA:

• Mandated that hospitals run full loads in ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilizers and log them, with some exceptions. EtO is a gas used to sterilize heat- and moisture-sensitive medical instruments. The EPA found that, taken together, EtO sterilizers account for a significant source of pollution.


• Is increasing oversight of hospital disinfectants after one-third of 325 registered substances failed EPA verification of labeled claims by manufacturers.


• Updated rules for hospitals that house medical waste incinerators. There are only 57 active medical incinerators in the entire country.