Stericycle: BREDL and GASP Efforts 2001-2006

Feb. 11, 2006: Stericycle Dental Waste Management Plan - Reducing Mercury Emissions with Title V Operating Permits.

April 27, 2005: BREDL chapter members from Group Against Stericycle Pollution (GASP for Clean Air) joined David Mickey from BREDL and Kelly Heekin from Healthcare Without Harm (HCWH) in a face to face challenge of Stericycle's continued incineration of medical waste in Haw River, NC. The five activists traveled to Chicago where they attended the company's annual shareholder meeting where Martha Hamblin from GASP presented a resolution calling on the company to adopt a plan to stop incineration of medical waste. John Powell, Heather Bjork, David Mickey and Kelly Heekin spoke in support of the resolution and cited Stericycle's recent violations for mercury emissions.

After questions from other shareholders put Stericycle management on the defensive, they became argumentative about regulations and contracts, and refused any suggestion that Stericycle should not accept dental waste, the source of the mercury contamination, for incineration. Nevertheless, the resolution received enough shareholder votes to be presented again next year when GASP will return using shareholder activism to promote corporate responsibility.

Please check out the Health Care Without Harm Stericycle Watch webpage to read statements by David Mickey of BREDL, Martha Hamblin from BREDL chapter Group Against Stericycle Pollution (GASP), and other Haw River, NC residents made at the annual Stericycle shareholders meeting held on April 27, 2005. Statements from previous meetings are also there. Excerpts from these statements include:

Your "Priorities for 2005" fail to mention any strategy for reducing incineration at existing locations. - David Mickey, BREDL

In my resolution I ask management and the board to do the right thing— the right thing for the public, the right thing for Stericycle’s reputation and brand image with the medical and investment communities, and, most importantly, the right thing for its shareholders. 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

One of Stericycle's stated goals is to move away from incineration and yet the company continues to purchase incinerators. - Heather Bjork, Haw River resident

The company’s decision to poison the environment in North Carolina with hazardous air emissions lies on their shoulders and their conscience. - John Powell, Haw River resident

Dec. 7, 2004: A new report released today by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) documents the health risks to people living near waste incinerators in North Carolina.  Citing as examples two medical waste incinerators, Stericycle in Haw River and BMWNC in Matthews, and the municipal solid waste incinerator WASTEC in New Hanover County, BREDL urged North Carolinians to learn about PVC, the "Poison Plastic", and take action to phase out its use. Read BREDL Press Release

BREDL joins Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) in national release of PVC Report - PVC, Bad News Comes in Threes: The Poison Plastic, Health Hazards & The Looming Waste Crisis. This national report will be released on Tuesday, December 7, 2004. It provides a comprehensive summary of the hazards of PVC, with new information on the looming PVC waste crisis. News Releases and events in 19 States. In North Carolina, please contact BREDL Staffer David Mickey at 336-769-0955.

Sept 19, 2003: BREDL comments on Title V permit for Stericycle, Inc, Haw River, Alamance County, NC (.pdf)

June 25, 2003: BREDL comments on reopened Title V permit for Stericycle, Inc, Haw River, Alamance County, NC

May 6, 2003: Stericycle's Environmental Performance Fails to Get Passing Grade, New Report Card from Health Care Without Harm says. Report card presented at company's annual shareholder meeting. Read the HCWH press release, the report card, and statements made by HCWH and community representatives at the meeting. Statements include comments from BREDL and GASP, a BREDL chapter. Please check out HCWH's website for details. http://www.noharm.org/us/medicalwaste/stericyclewatch

Jan. 15, 2002 - BREDL comments on Stericycle, Inc, Haw River, Alamance County, NC Title V permit

Oct. 11, 2001 - BREDL releases a national report which presents safe alternatives for solving the problems of hospital and infectious waste, making dangerous medical waste incinerators like Stericycle in Haw River, NC unnecessary. The report Non-incineration Medical Waste Treatment Technologies was produced by the national Health Care Without Harm campaign. BREDL Press Release; Executive Summary; Oct. 9, 2001 BREDL letter to NC DAQ regarding Stericycle; Dioxin Fact Sheet; Background on HCWH's report.
Download the report at http://www.noharm.org

Information on Stericycle medical waste incinerator (posted 10/10/01)