Washington Administrative Code › Title 246 - Health, Department of › HEALTH INFORMATION › Chapter 246-500 - Handling of human remains › Section 246-500-055 - Human remains reduced through natural organic reduction

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Other than the provisions of this section
				and WAC 246-500-010, this chapter does
				not apply to human remains after natural organic reduction.
(2) A natural organic reduction facility
				operator shall:
(a) Collect material samples
				for analysis that are representative of each instance of natural organic
				reduction using a sampling method such as described in the U.S. Composting
				Council 2002 Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost, Method
				02.01-A through E;
(b) Analyze each
				instance of reduced human remains for physical contaminants. Reduced remains
				must have less than 0.01 mg/kg dry weight of physical contaminants which
				include, but are not limited to, intact bone, dental fillings, and medical
				implants;
(c) Analyze, using a
				third-party laboratory, the reduction facility's reduced human remains
				according to the following schedule:
(i) The
				reduction facility's initial 20 instances of reduced human remains for the
				parameters identified in Table 500-A, and any additional instances of human
				remains necessary to achieve 20 reductions meeting the limits identified in
				Table 500-A;
(ii) Following 20
				reductions meeting limits outlined in Table 500-A, analyze, at minimum, 25
				percent of a facility's monthly instances of reduced human remains for the
				parameters identified in Table 500-A until 80 total instances have met the
				requirements in Table 500-A;
(iii)
				The local health jurisdiction may require tests for additional parameters under
				(b) and (c) of this subsection;
(d) Not release any human remains that exceed
				the limits identified in Table 500-A;
(e) Prepare, maintain, and provide upon
				request by the local health jurisdiction, an annual report each calendar year.
				The annual report must detail the facility's activities during the previous
				calendar year and must include the following information:
(i) Name and address of the
				facility;
(ii) Calendar year
				covered by the report;
(iii) Annual
				quantity of reduced human remains;
(iv) Results of any laboratory analyses of
				reduced human remains; and
(v) Any
				additional information required by the local health jurisdiction; and
(f) Test for arsenic, cadmium,
				lead, mercury, and selenium, and either fecal coliform or salmonella in reduced
				human remains to meet the testing parameters and limits identified in Table
				500-A.
Table 500-A Testing Parameters
Metals and other testing
							 parameters
Limit (mg/kg dry weight), unless
							 otherwise specified
Fecal coliform
< 1,000 Most probable number per gram of total
							 solids (dry weight)
or
Salmonella
< 3 Most probable number per 4 grams of total
							 solids (dry weight)
and
Arsenic
[LESS THAN EQUAL TO] 20 ppm
Cadmium
[LESS THAN EQUAL TO] 10 ppm
Lead
[LESS THAN EQUAL TO] 150 ppm
Mercury
[LESS THAN EQUAL TO] 8 ppm
Selenium
[LESS THAN EQUAL TO] 18 ppm