Incinerator Safety: When they blow their stacks
Pollution Controls and "bypass events"

Are incinerators safe with their pollution controls?
No. Even with pollution controls and under normal operating conditions, medical waste incinerators emit tens of thousands of pounds of toxic compounds into the air annually including hydrochloric acid, cadmium, dioxin, nickel and mercury. Pollution controls reduce toxins emitted from the stacks, they do not eliminate them.

Under Title V permits, the government sets limits for the amount of specific toxins that can be emitted into the air. These amounts, while smaller than in past years, still represent huge quantities of dioxins, mercury, acidic gases, etc. Over time, these toxins add up in the environment and in our bodies. They don't go away. Also, little is known about their 'compounding effects' on our health when we breathe this mixture of toxins.

What are 'bypass events'?
These are very important 'events' where our air is quickly and seriously degraded by potent toxins. Incinerators have short bypass stacks with no pollution controls. They are named for what they do. They allow emissions to 'bypass' the normal taller stacks (that have pollution reducing controls). (See explanation of pictures below)

Bypass stacks are designed to open when there are incinerator malfunctions and during start-up and/or shut-down of the incinerator. At the point that they do open, toxic contaminants are released directly into the air with no reduction or pollution control whatsoever. When a bypass stack opens and medical waste is burning in the incinerator, it is referred to as a 'bypass event.'

Since bypass events are considered part of an incinerator's normal operation, the vast majority of bypass events are allowed under Stericycle's operating permit. They are not considered to be violations by the North Carolina Division of Air Quality. This means that Stericycle can be considered 'in compliance' with their permit, even when releasing these 'full-strength' hazardous substances and toxins that foul our air, threaten public health, and degrade our environment.

Permit violations also degrade our environment and health
Air quality can also be adversely affected by certain violations under a Title V permit. These violations signify 'noncompliance' with permit conditions and may or may not be penalized by the state's enforcing agency. You can view Stericycle's record of permit violations here.

NOTES ON PICTURES: The top picture shows one of two incinerators in operation. Note that the one with the plume has a closed bypass stack. (It's the one on the roof, to the left.) The second incinerator is not operating. It's bypass stack is open. Since this incinerator is not in operation, toxins are not spewing out.

"What is the right thing? Simply put, it is the elimination of all incineration of medical waste not required by law to be burned." Martha Hamblin, GASP, at Stericyle Annual Stockholder Meeting