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Stericycle Inc. operates an incinerator at 90 North 1100 West in North Salt Lake. It is permitted to treat nonhazardous medical waste and other nonmedical wastes by the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste. Its air emissions are regulated by the Utah Division of Air Quality. The permitted incinerator capacity is 1,850 lbs per hour. The facility treats approximately 6,970 tons of medical waste per year from the western United States.
How the System Works
The facility uses a controlled air process which includes both primary and secondary combustion chambers to treat waste at temperatures between 1,200 and 2,200 degrees F.
How Emission Limits Are Set
A stringent, multi-stepped process is followed to determine a “safe” level of air emissions. Two types of pollutants are emitted by Stericycle – Criteria Pollutants and Hazardous Air Pollutants or HAPS – and the process of determining emission limits is slightly different for each type.
Criteria Pollutants is a designation, by the EPA, of six common air pollutants found all over the United States. These are ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. The term "Criteria" comes from the fact that health-based standards (i.e. criteria) have been set for each pollutant that establishes a maximum permissible concentration in the air. The air is monitored at numerous locations considered representative of what the public breathes. Areas that fail to meet the national air quality health standards trigger a variety of requirements to ensure healthy air quality is restored. The Wasatch Front has violated standards for ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide in the past, but is currently meeting all federal health standards. Individual facilities are permitted at levels that will not exceed the air quality standards.
The emissions limits for criteria pollutants from Stericycle are far below any amount that would impact a standard. As indicated in the table below, the actual emissions are below levels set in the permit. General information is available by clicking on each criteria pollutant.
| Pollutant | Limit in Air Permit | 2004 Actual Emissions | 2005 Actual Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Particulate Matter (PM10) | 1.81 | 1.3 | 0.318 |
| Sulfur Dioxide | 7.71 | 0 | .004 |
| NOx | 25.15 | 20.65 | 17.331 |
| Carbon Monoxide | 2.45 | 0.44 | 0.251 |
| Lead | 125.2 lb/yr | 5.8 lb/yr | 6 lb/yr |
Hazardous Air Pollutants are a class of chemicals specifically listed in the Clean Air Act that can cause serious health and environmental hazards. Unlike for Criteria Pollutants, the Act does not set maximum concentration levels in the air for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Emissions of hazardous air pollutants are regulated by federal rules that require certain pollution control equipment and practices that limit emissions to the maximum extent. These controls are determined for all types of industrial facilities that have significant hazardous air pollutant emissions. All Utah facilities must comply with these federal hazardous air pollutant standards.
In addition to the federal technology standards, Utah evaluates hazardous pollutant emissions against toxic screening levels to protect the public that might be present near the facility.
To establish emission limits, DAQ uses Threshold Limit Values established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The Threshold Limit Values are based on the best science available and are designed to protect the health of a worker who is spending 8 hours a day at a plant over a normal career. When there is an adjacent neighborhood, other people issues need to be factored in for these reasons:
All this was taken into consideration in writing the Stericycle permit. The “safe” worker Threshold Limit Value for each pollutant was taken down - to between 1/30th and 1/100th of the original value. These became the Toxic Screening Levels. The permit writer used each Toxic Screening Level to establish the Stericycle emission limits.
As indicated in the table below, the actual emissions are below levels set in the permit. General information on each Hazardous Air Pollutant is available by clicking on each word.
| Pollutant | Limit in Air Permit | 2004 Actual Emissions | 2005 Actual Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen Chloride | 7.97 | 0.227 or 454 lb/yr | 0.517 or 1034 lb/yr |
| VOC | 6.13 | 0.50 | 0.124 |
| Mercury | 57.8 lb/yr | 14.4 lb/yr | 14 lb/yr |
| Cadmium | 16.86 lb/yr | 0.3 lb/yr | 0.367 lb/yr |
| Dioxins | 0.013 lb/yr | 0.0006 lb/yr | 0.0006 lb/yr |
Air Quality inspectors verify, during regular inspections, that conditions of the permit are being met for both Criteria Pollutants and Hazardous Air Pollutants. If you have specific questions, contact one of the individuals listed below.
Note: This is only a partial list of the information available. Each DEQ Division maintains a more comprehensive historic file. To learn more about how to access those records, visit our GRAMA website.
DEQ Permits
Inspection Reports/Compliance History
Solid and Hazardous Waste – Available for review at the Division. For more information on viewing records, visit our GRAMA website.
Air Quality – Available for review at the Division. For more information on viewing records, visit our GRAMA website.
Public Information
Additional Resources
Powerpoint Presentation -"A Comparison of the Dioxin Levels found in the Residential Soils of Davis County, Utah to those found in the Denver Front Range" (for more information, contact Steve Packham)
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