1305_INSP_20230817

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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UNIT TYPE:
Lined MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: CABARRUS
Closed MSWLF HHW White goods Incin T&P X FIRM PERMIT NO.: 1305TP-TP
CDLF Tire T&P / Collection Tire Monofill Industrial Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: 8/17/23 Date of Last Inspection: 10/5/22
FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS: Stericycle, Inc. 4403 Republic Drive Concord, North Carolina 28027 GPS COORDINATES (decimal degrees): Lat.: 35.41944 Long.: -80.65054 FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Don Nuss, Regional Environmental Manager Telephone: [phone] Email address: [e-mail]
FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
4357 Ferguson Drive, Suite100 Cincinnati, Ohio 45245

PARTICIPANTS: Keith Kowarsch, Facility Manager – Stericycle, Inc. Jonthan Fitzgerald, District Manager – Stericycle, Inc.
Teresa Bradford, DEQ – Solid Waste Section Denise Hayes, DEQ – Division of Air Quality
STATUS OF PERMIT:
The Amendment to the Permit to Operate was issued to Stericycle, Inc. on March 18, 2021. The permit shall expire April 12, 2026. PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT: Comprehensive Inspection and Complaint Investigation STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS: None OBSERVED VIOLATIONS: 1. 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1204(c)(5) states, “A record of each test performed shall be maintained and shall include the type of indicator used, the test date, the start and end times, and the test results.”

The facility is conducting the weekly Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore test as required, however, the facility has failed to maintain test results since March 2023. Therefore, Stericycle is violation of 15A NCAC 13B .1204(c)(5).

To achieve compliance, take measures to ensure that the record of each test includes the test results and that the records are maintained in accordance with this Rule.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
1. The inspection was performed to conduct a comprehensive inspection and a complaint investigation. 2. The permit approves the operation of a medical waste treatment facility consisting of two steam sterilization units (autoclaves) and associated facility appurtenances for storage and treatment of regulated medical waste, BioSystems retrieval and treatment of sharps from reusable sharps containers, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulated waste and product treatment such as non-hazardous pharmaceuticals approved for landfill disposal, pharmaceutical collection for transfer to an inspection facility for destruction and treatment of unused sharps containers, syringes or other materials that a customer may want treated prior to landfilling to prevent scavenging at the landfill or reentering the marketplace in any way. 3. Observed the container unloading and handling area. 4. Pathological waste and residual chemotherapy waste is scanned, weighed and loaded onto a trailer to be transported to the Stericycle-Haw River Facility (Permit # 0102-INCIN-M) to be incinerated.
5. Containers with medical waste to be treated in the autoclaves are scanned, weighed and loaded onto the inclined belt conveyor and loaded into the autoclave treatment bins. 6. Empty reusable containers are conveyed to an automated washer where they are cleaned and disinfected. The containers are then staged to air dry. 7. Take measures to ensure that the catwalk and the area underneath the catwalk in the autoclave bin loading area is cleaned and kept free of debris.
8. Observed the operations of the two steam sterilization units (autoclaves). 9. The waste is treated at a set point of 300 degrees for 25 minutes. 10. The treatment bins are removed from the autoclaves and the treated waste is compacted into a closed container and disposed of at the BFI-Charlotte Motor Speedway Landfill in Cabarrus County (Permit # 1304-MSWLF-1992). 11. As discussed with facility personnel during the inspection and subsequent call after the inspection, ensure that employees are following cleaning procedures to ensure that the facility is maintained in a clean, sanitary condition at all times. 12. Take measures to ensure that the landfill container staging area is cleaned on a more frequent basis. Any leachate generated must be directed to a drain that is connected to the wet well on site. Also, ensure that the containers used to haul treated medical waste comply with 15A NCAC 13B .0105 for leak resistant containers. 13. Observed operations of the reusable sharps containers program and the medical device recovery program.
14. The reusable sharps containers are loaded onto the automated sharps container dumper where the lids are mechanically removed and conveyed toward the dumper. The untreated sharps are emptied into treatment bins to be processed in the autoclaves. The reusable sharp containers are then fed into a tunnel washer where the containers are disinfected, rinsed/sanitized and then moved on to the force heated air-drying process. 15. The medical device recovery program removes medical devices that can be reprocessed and reused. The containers are placed into the manifold of the tipping machine. The container is emptied into the sorting tray and the medical
devices that can be reprocessed and reused are sorted by tongs and placed into a shipping container. All other waste is emptied into a treatment bin to be processed in the autoclaves. The reusable containers are then sent to the tunnel washer to be disinfected, rinsed/sanitized and then moved on to the force heated air-drying process.
16. Reviewed the permit, operations plan, efficacy tests (conducted once per week), processing schedules, waste manifests, chart recorders and trailer logs.
17. The efficacy test records reviewed included the type of indicator used, the test date and the start and end times and were being maintained as required. However, the records for the test results were not maintained as required. Ensure that these records are maintained in accordance with 15A NCAC 13B .1204(c)(5). Please see the Observed Violation Section of this report.

The item(s) listed above were observed by Section staff and require action on behalf of the facility in order to come into or maintain compliance with the Statutes, Rules, and/or other regulatory requirements applicable to this facility. Be advised that pursuant to N.C.G.S. 130A-22, an administrative penalty of up to $15,000 per day may be assessed for each violation of the Solid Waste Laws, Regulations, Conditions of a Permit, or Order under Article 9 of Chapter 130A of the N.C. General Statutes. Further, the facility and/or all responsible parties may also be subject to enforcement actions including penalties, injunction from operation of a solid waste management facility or a solid waste collection service and any such further relief as may be necessary to achieve compliance with the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Act and Rules.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report. ________________________________________ Phone: [phone]
Teresa N. Bradford Environmental Senior Specialist Regional Representative
Sent on: 8/28/2023 X Email Hand delivery US Mail Certified No. [ _]

Copies: Deb Aja, Western District Supervisor – Solid Waste Section
Keith Kowarsch, Facility Manager – Stericycle, Inc.