The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Tula Region and the Tula Regional Public Organization “Environmental Protection” conducted an on-site inspection of the activities of the enterprise engaged in the incineration of medical waste in the industrial zone of Novomoskovsk.
On July 29, an on-site inspection was carried out by the Tula Environmental Prosecutor’s Office jointly with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Tula Region and the Novomoskovsk Territorial Department of the Rospotrebnadzor Office. TPOO “Environmental Protection” took part in the event within the framework of a cooperation agreement signed with the prosecutor’s office of the Tula region.
During the inspection, two installations for the incineration of medical waste were found on the territory of one of the industrial sites in Novomoskovsk. The entire territory of the enterprise is littered with medical waste of classes “B” (hazardous) and “C” (extremely dangerous) and ash formed after their incineration. Judging by the labels on the packaging, the waste was brought from Moscow, the Moscow Region and other regions.
“What we saw here just defies explanation. Under the open sky, mountains of boxes, cans, containers and bags with medical waste of various hazard classes are piled right on the ground, many of which are torn apart. Needles and syringes, cotton swabs, personal protective equipment, containers of blood, and bloody dressings are scattered throughout the area underfoot. Here we also found boxes with the markings of the Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, as well as containers containing, judging by the inscriptions on them, obstetric waste “, – commented the chairman of the Commission on Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Public Chamber of the Tula Region, Vadim Baranov, chairman of TPOO “Environmental Protection”.
According to an employee of the enterprise, furnaces for burning medical waste supplied to them are fired with wood. Ash is scattered along the fence. A large amount of not completely burnt waste was found in it. Specialists of the accredited laboratory took ash samples for research.