The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that a Consent Order has been signed by the Howell Care Center of Howell, Michigan, acknowledging that the nursing home facility was ultimately responsible for the illegal discarding of over 90 sharps containers into the Shiawassee River in the spring and early summer of 2007. The sharps containers contained a variety of medical-related wastes generated at the facility including syringes, lancets, medication vials, and residual narcotics. Improper disposal of medical waste is a violation of Michigan's Medical Waste Regulatory Act.

Investigation of the incident involved cooperation among staff from the DEQ, Department of Natural Resources, and members of the Shiawassee County Special Response Team. Although specific individuals responsible for the illegal disposal of the medical waste were not able to be identified, it was determined that the Howell Care Center was not properly managing their medical waste and that there was a significant lack of institutional control of the waste by the facility, placing them in violation of the MWRA.

Howell Care Center has paid nearly $13,000 in assessed civil penalties and reimbursement costs related to the incident. In addition, the facility has been required to upgrade their Medical Waste Management Plan and relocate their storage facility. They will also have to monitor and record their waste disposal practices for an extended time period and submit data to the DEQ for review and compliance determination. Howell Care Center staff has also been required to attend training seminars addressing the proper management of medical waste and the hazards associated with its handling.

Editor's note:  DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq .

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised February 5, 2009 by Pat Watson