[ADEQ Media] Star Valley Veterinary Clinic, P.C. Agrees to $65, 000 Settlement to Resolve Biohazardous Medical Waste Violations

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

PHOENIX (Oct. 4, 2011) - The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
and Arizona Attorney General's Office announced today that Star Valley
Veterinary Clinic, P.C. has agreed to a $65,000 settlement in a consent
judgment for biohazardous medical waste violations in the Town of Star
Valley in Gila County.

 

The clinic will pay a $5,000 penalty and conduct a $60,000 Supplemental
Environmental Project in which veterinarian services will be used to
treat animals for the Humane Society of Central Arizona. In addition,
information will be provided about the proper management and disposal of
biohazardous medical waste in the animal care industry.

 

An inspection by ADEQ's Solid Waste Inspection and Compliance Unit in
June 2009 determined that the clinic had disposed of untreated
biohazardous medical waste syringes contaminated with blood in regular
solid waste containers that were dumped in the Gila County landfill
between 1999 and 2009.

 

The clinic received a notice of violation from ADEQ in September 2009
for improperly packaging, storing, labeling, and disposing of untreated
biohazardous medical waste.

 

"These are serious violations that went on for many years," said ADEQ
Director Henry Darwin. "But this is also a very creative settlement that
will allow many abandoned pets and other animals in the Payson area to
receive medical treatment while at the same time educating animal owners
about the proper disposal of this medical waste."

 

"All veterinary clinics and other medical providers need to rigorously
comply with state standards to protect the health of our citizens and
our environment," Attorney General Tom Horne said.

 

The consent judgment is subject to court approval.

 

Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality
Arizona Attorney General's Office

1110 West Washington Street
1275 West Washington Street

Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Contact: Mark Shaffer, 602-771-2215
Contact: Amy Rezzonico, 542-8019

www.azdeq.gov <http://www.azdeq.gov/>
www.azag.gov <http://www.azag.gov/>  

 

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