'Something has to be done': Bill targets infectious, illegal waste dumping

Steep penalties for illegal disposal of human remains

A new bill has been introduced by Minnesota lawmakers to address disposing of medical waste at regular waste facilities. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the latest. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A new bill at the Capitol seeks to tackle the illegal disposal of medical waste at regular waste facilities, a problem highlighted by a FOX 9 investigation.

Bill targets illegal waste disposal

What we know:

The bill proposes more inspections at regular waste facilities to ensure they are not receiving medical waste. It also introduces fines that increase for repeat violations, aiming to deter hospitals and other facilities from improper disposal practices.

Legislative bill targets infectious, illegal waste dumping

A new bill aims to address illegal disposal of medical waste at regular waste facilities. The proposal includes increased inspections and fines for repeat offenders. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the story.

Employees at the Ramsey-Washington Recycling and Energy Center have encountered unexpected deliveries of medical waste, including human body parts and infectious materials, over the past few years. This bill aims to prevent such incidents from recurring.

The backstory: The issue first came to light three years ago when employees at the recycling center reported seeing medical waste mixed with regular garbage. Although the problem temporarily subsided after FOX 9’s coverage in 2023, it has since resurfaced, prompting legislative action.

Potential impact on hospitals

What they're saying:

Rep. Wayne Johnson believes that increasing fines will compel hospitals to take waste disposal more seriously. "Once this dollar amount got high enough, the hospitals started reaching out and saying, ‘Oh, we got to take this seriously’," said Johnson.

Sen. Sandy Pappas emphasized the need for consistent enforcement, stating, "Something has to be done to improve this because it gets better for a while and then they slack off and it gets worse again."

The other side:

The Minnesota Hospital Association has expressed concerns about the bill, arguing that the penalties could be too severe and potentially harmful to rural hospitals. "Mistakes can occur in busy clinical settings. However, the penalties in this bill represent a dramatic and unprecedented escalation," said Michelle Benson.

What we don't know:

It remains uncertain whether the bill will pass, as it still faces opposition but it easily passed through committees in the House and Senate Thursday.