Monday, March 06, 2000
Medical waste plan goes to public
Firm likes Boone's proximity
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WALTON — Boone County residents can air their opinions this week on the medical waste facility proposed south of Florence.
Sanitec of Kentucky wants to build a facility on East Frogtown Road to pulverize and heat medical waste — IV bags, soiled uniforms, etc. — into sanitized plastic shreds which would be trucked to a conventional landfill.
The upside
“It's considered state of the art for treating medical waste,” said Bob Jennings, project manager for the facility. “We have no hazardous air emissions and no water effluent. It's a far more user-friendly method than incineration or autoclave (container for sterilizing by steam pressure).”
After material is shredded, it is treated with steam and microwaves.
Neighbors interviewed don't like the idea.
The downside
Steve Turner said he's not necessarily opposed to the business, only the location.
“I just believe they rushed into an area they didn't really look at. If they were in a proper industrial setting I'd probably support their business.”
The parent company, Sanitec International Holdings, has 70 similar facilities operating around the world, Mr. Jennings said, and it has targeted a dozen or so major medical waste producing regions in this country.
Boone County is ideally placed among such cities as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington and others.
The company has received permits from solid waste management, a department under the Boone County Emergency Management office.
Officials at Sanitec of Kentucky have not contacted hospitals in the area about contracting with the company but say they hope their services would reduce hospital costs by not having to truck the material so far.
“The nearest facility is in Warren, Ohio,” Mr. Jennings said.
Public hearing
Since the 2.38 acres of land the company wants is zoned industrial, the company needs to apply for a special-use permit.
The public hearing on that permit will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the county administration building.
Company officials say they will show a video of how the process works and answer residents' questions.
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