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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman |
State Rep. John
Siptroth |
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Siptroth’s bill for safe disposal of needles passes legislative hurdle
HARRISBURG, June 21 – State Rep. John Siptroth, D-Monroe/Pike, said legislation that he introduced was voted out of committee today and referred to the House Rules Committee, putting it one step closer to final passage.
The bill would create a program to encourage people to safely dispose of hazardous medical sharps – needles, syringes or lancets used for testing or medicating – that are generated at home.
Sharps used outside a medical facility are normally put into a household’s regular trash can, which Siptroth said poses a risk to other family members and also to sanitation workers who pick up the trash bags. He said that the proposed Home-Generated Medical Sharps Disposal Act is aimed at reducing both of those risks.
“More than 3 billion home-based sharps are mixed in with other garbage each year, and every one of those sharps poses a significant danger to workers,” Siptroth said.
The bill (H.B. 1320) would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to develop a program for the safe disposal of home-generated sharps. This could include a mail-back program, drop-off sites, curbside pickup or home destruction devices.
In addition to creating a disposal program, DEP also would be required to inform the public about safe disposal of sharps through an educational program.
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