2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 75. Environmental Protection › Chapter 10. Waste and Litter Control › Part 10. Infectious Waste Management Act › 75-10-1005. Management standards -- procedures for storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal

75-10-1005. Management standards -- procedures for storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal.
(1) Infectious waste must be separated from ordinary waste at the point of origin and stored until the waste is rendered noninfectious in separate, distinct containers with biohazard warning labels in compliance with the following procedures:
(a) Sharps must be contained for storage, transportation, treatment, and subsequent disposal in leakproof, rigid, puncture-resistant containers that must be taped closed or capped securely to prevent loss of contents.
(b) Infectious waste other than sharps must be contained in moisture-proof disposable containers or bags of a strength sufficient to prevent ripping, tearing, or bursting under normal conditions of use. The bags must be securely tied to prevent leakage or expulsion of solid or liquid wastes during storage, handling, and transportation.
(2) To inhibit the spread of infectious agents, infectious waste must be stored prior to treatment in a secured area that prevents access by unauthorized personnel and must be clearly marked or labeled as infectious.
(3) Handling of infectious waste must be done in a manner to prevent compaction or other mechanical manipulation that might cause the release of infectious agents.
(4) (a) Treatment and disposal of infectious waste must be accomplished through the following methods:
(i) incineration with complete combustion that reduces infectious waste to carbonized or mineralized ash;
(ii) steam sterilization that renders infectious waste noninfectious; or
(iii) sterilization by standard chemical techniques or by any scientifically proven techniques approved by state and federal authorities.
(b) Liquid or semisolid infectious waste may be discharged into a sewer system that provides secondary treatment or into a primary treatment sewage system if waste is first sterilized by chemical treatment. A subsurface disposal system installed and operated in accordance with state or local sanitary regulations is, for the purpose of this subsection (b), a sewer system providing secondary treatment.
(c) Fetal remains or recognizable body parts other than teeth must be disposed of by incineration or interment.
(5) If infectious waste has been rendered noninfectious by one of the methods listed in subsection (4) and is no longer biologically hazardous, it may be mixed with and disposed of with ordinary waste in the following manner:
(a) Steam-sterilized waste must be labeled identifying it as such with heat sensitive tape or bagged in marked autoclavable bags.
(b) Chemically treated waste or waste otherwise treated under subsection (4)(a)(iii) must be appropriately labeled.
(6) Infectious waste may be transported by the generator, a municipal solid waste service, or a regulated commercial hauler to an offsite treatment facility if the waste is confined in a leakproof, noncompacting, fully enclosed vehicle compartment.
(7) (a) Infectious waste that has been treated by one of the methods in subsection (4) may be disposed of in a properly operated landfill licensed under 75-10-221.
(b) Untreated infectious waste may be disposed of at a licensed, properly operated landfill until April 1, 1993, if it is buried in a separate area without compaction and with minimum disturbance.
(8) An employee who handles or manages infectious waste must receive training provided by the employer that is adequate to ensure safe performance of duties.
(9) Generators and transporters of infectious waste shall develop a contingency plan to handle spills and equipment failure.
History: En. Sec. 5, Ch. 483, L. 1991.