Disposal of Medical Waste: What are the Differences Between SQG, LGQ and CESQG?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a number of guidelines important for the safe and correct disposal of medical waste, especially hazardous waste. One of these guidelines refers to the amount of hazardous waste medical facilities and other generators of hazardous waste produce.
EPA classifies generators of hazardous waste in three following categories. These make disposal of medical waste all the easier:
- Small quantity generators (SQG)
- Large quantity generators (LQG) and
- Conditionally exempt small quality generators (CESQG)
While this classification is accepted in most US states, some have their own limits on the amount of hazardous waste (medical and other) that health care facilities and other generators may store or produce. As such, these states’ classifications may be different from that of EPA.
Certain states also have additional categories of hazardous waste along with regulations to make up their definitions. For instance, some states include a fourth category called “Very Small Quality Generator” (VSQG), which falls between EPA’s Conditionally Exempt Small Quality Generator (CESQG) and Small Quality Generator (SQG).
Let’s take a closer look at the three EPA’s categories of hazardous waste:
Small Quantity Generators (SQG)
Small Quantity Generators or SQGs include generators that produce between 100 and 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste each month. They can store waste on-site for up to 180 days without a permit, or up to 270 days in case they have to ship their hazardous waste over a distance longer than 200 miles and can’t have more than 6,000 kg of hazardous waste held on-site at one time.
SQGs also need to have carefully written emergency plans, including thorough response measures for emergencies. They also need to have one (minimum) or more employees selected to act as the emergency coordinator. This person must be available at all times in case an emergency with hazardous waste occurs.
Large Quantity Generators (LQG)
Large Quantity Generators or LQGs produce over 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste a month and have no limit on how much they can hold on-site. However, LQGs can only accumulate hazardous waste on-site for no longer than 90 days (certain exceptions may apply).
Like SQGs, LQGs also need to have a contingency plan and at least one person who would act as an emergency coordinator.
Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQG)
Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators or CESQGs generate less than or exactly 100 kilograms of hazardous waste per month and cannot store or accumulate more than 1,000 kilograms of it at any period of time.
All generators, CESQG, SQG and LQG, are, apart from the requirements listed here, also required to ensure that all waste they send to an off-site facility is delivered to a medical waste management, disposal, landfill or storage facility that has a license and a permit to handle hazardous waste. Working with unqualified waste management companies on disposal of medical waste poses a definite risk on several levels.
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