Pittsburgh-based UPMC and Allegheny Health Network were recently fined $451,000 and $86,900, respectively, for illegal disposal of medical waste, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The medical waste, including bloody dressings, body fluids and needles, hadn't undergone autoclave sterilization and was dumped in the a landfill in Monroeville, Pa.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection, 12 UPMC hospitals and two AHN hospitals were dumping medical waste in the landfill.
Department of Environmental Protection spokesman John Poister told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the issue pertained to employee training at the hospitals. DEP officials advised the hospitals to improve training of employees who handle waste.
UPMC and AHN have paid their fines and implemented new policies and training procedures for employees who handle waste, according to the report.
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