State environmental regulators have fined St. Paul’s Regions Hospital for improperly disposing of infectious medical waste at an east metro trash facility in 2024.
On several occasions last year, the hospital put blood-contaminated syringes, plastic bags, suction cannisters and laboratory collection tubes in the standard municipal waste system, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy in Newport contacted state environmental regulators when it received the items. The facility had to hire a contractor to separate the waste from other garbage and send it to a proper disposal site, officials said.
Regions Hospital operator HealthPartners confirmed the Newport facility received the waste.
The state fined Regions Hospital $100,000 for improperly disposing of the medical waste and ordered a series of corrective actions, which officials and HealthPartners said the hospital completed.
“We’re committed to ensuring infectious medical waste is disposed of properly,” HealthPartners said in a statement. “We took immediate action last year and continue to partner with Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy to improve sorting and disposal practices.”
Hospitals are supposed to send medical waste to a specially permitted disposal site. The restrictions are aimed at protecting public health and the environment.
Related Articles
St. Paul police: 2nd grader said he brought gun to school to show friends
Metro State University lockdown prompted by man firing shots at his mother
3 hurt in shooting in St. Paul apartment; police arrest 1 of the injured
Nearly 200 employees to be laid off in St. Paul as WestRock recycling plant closes
St. Paul, MN Wild trim Xcel Center’s state request from $400M to $50M
Leave a Reply