MN fines Regions Hospital $100,000 for improper infectious waste disposal
Used flu shot syringes appear through the opening of a bio-waste container. (Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Regions Hospital in St. Paul was fined $100,000 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for improperly disposing of infectious waste multiple times in 2024, according to state officials.
Regions Hospital fined
Big picture view:
The MPCA said the waste that was improperly disposed of included liquid blood and liquids contaminated with liquid blood in syringes, tubing, plastic bags, suction containers and laboratory collection tubes.
That infectious waste was reportedly brought in error to a waste-to-energy facility multiple times. A contractor was then brought into segregate the waste and properly dispose of it.
The hospital has since revised its infectious waste treatment plan, which will ensure future infectious waste is disposed of at an authorized facility, according to MPCA.
Hospital response
What they're saying:
Officials from HealthPartners, the nonprofit that owns Regions Hospital, released the following statement:
"We’re committed to ensuring infectious medical waste is disposed of properly. We took immediate action last year and continue to improve sorting and disposal practices."
The Source: This story used information from a news release shared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.