Hospitals & Health Care

In November 2004, VT DEC co-sponsored a hospital environmental roundtable meeting with Triumvirate Environmental and EPA Region 1-New England at the VA Hospital in White River Junction. The focus of the roundtable was on hazardous waste compliance. A total of 9 of Vermont's 15 hospitals attended. Pre- and post-tests were given to attendees. In the pre-test, only 12 percent had passing grades. In the post-test, 75 percent passed.

Also in November, a workshop was held for hospital engineers at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. There were 25 attendees representing most Vermont hospitals for a discussion of environmental management regulations affecting hospitals. The Small Business Compliance Assistance Program is providing direct compliance assistance and pollution prevention assistance to several hospitals as a result of outreach efforts.

In April 2005, VT DEC held a hospital roundtable meeting for Vermont hospitals that focused on pollution prevention and assistance resources with speakers from DEC, EPA, and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E). Another roundtable meeting is scheduled for this fall on the use of the H2E waste and mercury tracking software tools. Vermont hospitals and affiliated health care facilities are subject to mercury reduction planning requirements that passed as part of a comprehensive mercury products bill during this past legislative session. DEC will be developing the planning and assistance documents for hospitals.