DOT grants permit to transport Ebola medical waste

The special permit covers the statewide transport of medical waste related to Ebola treatments in Texas.    The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday issued a special permit for the statewide transport of medical waste related to Ebola treatments underway in Texas. 
   The permit covers removal of household hazardous material, including the patient’s home.  
   Special permits are issued to companies to ensure they’re fit for this activity. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare similar guidance for elsewhere in the United States, if the need should occur.
   This special permit was issued to Stericycle and allows for two options to package the medical waste prior to transport. Both options require a series of inner and outer packaging, and the application of a CDC-authorized disinfectant to the inner packaging, DOT said.
   The permit also provides instructions for transport, and requires the carrier to maintain a written spill response plan with guidelines for protecting employees and decontaminating any released material if there’s an accident.
   Solid materials contaminated with the Ebola virus are classified as “Category A” infectious substances, according to U.S. hazmat regulations. DOT noted that the “treatment of Ebola patients creates a relatively large quantity of contaminated medical waste.”
   DOT referred questions related to the terms of the contract and logistics such as the costs, pickups, disposal locations and the volume of waste to Texas health officials.