Hospitals and Pollution Prevention

"The Mercury Challenge":

The Ohio EPA and Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) signed a pollution prevention agreement in 1999 and have been working cooperatively to reduce hospital wastes since.  The Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention has been working with the OHA to reduce the generation of hospital waste, including mercury, which hospitals commonly have in thermometers, blood pressure monitors and other equipment. A formal agreement between the two organizations was signed as part of Ohio Pollution Prevention Week, September 20-24, 1999, initiating the Ohio Healthy Hospitals Pollution Prevention Initiative.  Its based on a federal agreement signed by U.S. EPA and the American Hospital Association. The goal of the program is to provide tools to support hospitals' continued efforts to minimize the production of pollutants and reduce the amount of waste generated.

As part of the agreement, Ohio EPA and the OHA agree to create and implement programs to:

• virtually eliminate mercury-containing waste from the health care industry's waste stream;
• reduce the total volume of waste created by the industry;
• educate health care professionals on pollution prevention activities they can implement;
• reduce the amount of chemicals used by the industry; and
• monitor the industry's progress in implementing pollution prevention initiatives over time.

The Office of Pollution Prevention initially contracted with CGH Environmental Strategies of Burlington, Vermont, who are nationally recognized experts in working with hospitals for waste reduction. CGH worked with Ohio EPA and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) to develop a program for waste reduction at Ohio hospitals to reduce mercury use, solid waste from various hospital operations, and certain chemicals. 

Hospital Pollution Prevention Documents

• The Mercury Challenge Handbook
  "The Opportunity to Become a Mercury-Free Facility" [PDF]
  by the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio EPA, Office of Pollution Prevention 
• Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories  [PDF 820K]

Hospital Pollution Prevention Links

• Practice Greenhealth (formerly Hospitals for a Healthy Environment)
• National Institutes of Health
• Ohio Hospital Association
•  Health Care Without Harm"Greening" Hospitals

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