Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 459 § 459.395 — Treatment of infectious wastes; rules

Treatment of infectious wastes; rules. (1) Pathological wastes shall be treated by incineration in an incinerator that provides complete combustion of waste to carbonized or mineralized ash. The ash shall be disposed of as provided in rules adopted by the Environmental Quality Commission. However, if the Department of Environmental Quality determines that incineration is not reasonably available within a wasteshed, pathological wastes may be disposed of in the same manner provided for cultures and stocks. (2) Cultures and stocks shall be incinerated as described in subsection (1) of this section or sterilized by other means prescribed by Oregon Health Authority rule. Sterilized waste may be disposed of in a permitted land disposal site if it is not otherwise classified as hazardous waste. (3) Liquid or soluble semisolid biological wastes may be discharged into a sewage treatment system that provides secondary treatment of waste. (4)(a) Sharps and biological wastes may be incinerated as described in subsection (1) of this section or sterilized by other means prescribed by authority rule. Sharps may be disposed of in a permitted land disposal site only if the sharps are in containers as required in ORS 459.390 (3) and are placed in a segregated area of the landfill. (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, sharps consolidated with waste pharmaceuticals shall be treated by incineration in an incinerator that is authorized to accept sharps and waste pharmaceuticals under a permit issued by a state or federal agency. (5) Other methods of treatment and disposal may be approved by rule of the commission. [1989 c.763 §6; 2009 c.595 §943; 2025 c.257 §3]