Rule 3745-570-202 | Incineration.
(A) Methodology. The owner or operator using incineration shall conduct treatment of infectious waste in accordance with the following methodologies:
(1) Using a multi-chamber incinerator that provides complete combustion of all wastes, excluding metal, glass, and ceramic items.
(2) Maintaining a minimum temperature of one thousand two hundred degrees Fahrenheit in the primary chamber and a minimum of one thousand six hundred degrees Fahrenheit with a minimum one second residence time in the secondary chamber.
[Comment: Additional temperature, residence time, and compliance testing requirements may be necessary to achieve appropriate air emission standards in accordance with Chapter 3704. of the Revised Code.]
(B) Operational criteria. The owner or operator shall operate the incinerator as follows:
(1) Continuously record the primary and secondary chamber temperatures using a temperature recording device with a real-time display that is permanently connected to the incinerator and is capable of producing an instant paper or electronic record.
(2) If the temperature recording device becomes inoperable, do the following until repairs are made:
(a) Manually record the chamber temperatures immediately after each charge of infectious waste and again for a minimum of once every ten minutes thereafter until the burn down cycle is initiated.
(b) Provide proof that repair parts have been ordered if requested by Ohio EPA or the approved health district.
(c) Discontinue use of the incinerator if the incinerator becomes inoperable due to a failure in the thermocouple or thermocouple wiring.
(3) Use an independent company to calibrate, repair, or replace primary and secondary chamber temperature recording devices or temperature measuring devices in accordance with either of the following:
(a) The manufacturer's maintenance schedule, specifications, or recommendations.
(b) If the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, specifications, or recommendations are not available, a calibration schedule as determined by the owner or operator that at a minimum includes annual calibrations.
(4) Ensure the incinerator is equipped with a mechanical process to prevent the charging of infectious waste into the incinerator until the minimum temperatures specified in paragraph (A)(2) of this rule are achieved.
(5) Ensure the incinerator has automatic auxiliary burners capable of independently maintaining the secondary chamber temperature at the minimum temperature specified in paragraph (A)(2) of this rule, excluding the heat content of the infectious waste.
(6) Ensure the incinerator is not charged beyond the maximum hourly waste capacity. For the purposes of this rule, the maximum hourly waste capacity is the same as the hourly capacity as stated in the permit to operate issued by Ohio EPA, division of air pollution control, or if no such permit has been issued, the design capacity as determined by the manufacturer.
(7) Re-incinerate or otherwise treat wastes not combusted to ash except for the materials specified in paragraph (A)(1) of this rule.
(C) Upon written notification from Ohio EPA, the owner or operator shall sample and test the stack gas and the resulting bottom ash after the addition of Bacillus species spores to a load of infectious waste in accordance with the protocol provided by Ohio EPA and submit the results within the time frame specified in the notice.
(D) The owner or operator shall manage ash from the incineration of infectious waste in accordance with the following:
(1) Store all ash from the incinerator in a leak proof closed container and ensure the ash is free of liquids prior to disposal.
(2) Characterize ash resulting from the treatment of infectious waste quarterly, or more frequently if specified by Ohio EPA, as follows:
(a) Separately test the fly ash and bottom ash.
(b) Obtain representative samples of the fly ash and bottom ash using the "Simple Random Sampling Method" described in the "U.S. EPA Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, third edition (SW846)," chapter nine.
(c) Use an independent analytical laboratory to test samples of the fly ash and bottom ash for metals in accordance with the U.S. EPA Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, third edition (SW846)," method 1311, "Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure."
(3) The applicable solid waste or hazardous waste requirements in Chapter 3734. of the Revised Code and the rules adopted thereunder.
(4) Manage any ash spilled outside of the treatment unit as treated infectious wastes unless the owner or operator has reason to manage the ash as hazardous waste.
(E) The owner or operator shall maintain the dated recordings of primary and secondary chamber temperatures, documentation of calibration or replacement of the temperature measuring or recording devices, results of Bacillus species spore testing, and the results of fly and bottom ash testing for a minimum of five years.
Last updated April 7, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Supplemental Information