The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has fined a Stillwater hospital for improperly disposing of infectious waste.
Lakeview Memorial Hospital must pay more than $15,000 dollars after a garbage hauler rejected a load of the hospital's waste because it appeared to contain infectious materials.
The incident happened last December, and it followed numerous cases statewide where things like body parts, organs and blood are ending up in county recycling facilities, according to Washington County Commissioner and former state lawmaker Karla Bigham.
So, earlier this year, the legislature beefed up a state law that requires hospitals to separate, label and properly store infectious waste before disposing of it.
Bigham spoke with WCCO's Adam and Jordana, saying there's no excuse for non-compliance.
"Body parts, organs, you know, just vials of blood. It's just, it's gross," Bigham says. "It's disgusting. We do not want our tipping floor to look like Ed Gein's freezer or barn."
In addition to paying the fine, the hospital also has submitted a detailed plan on how it will prevent similar incidents in the future.
"It's a safety issue from like bloodborne pathogens, and there really is, honestly, no excuse for it," Bigham adds.
Minnesota Legislature passed a measure to beef up the state laws around disposal this year
Minnesota Legislature passed a measure to beef up the state laws around disposal this year
