The Nation - News from Aug. 10, 1988

Dirty needles, blood vials and other hospital waste found this summer on East Coast beaches are graphic symptoms of a beleaguered disposal system that leaves regulation to a hodgepodge of weak and confusing local laws, Congress was told. “No federal standards exist which comprehensively address the handling, transportation, treatment and disposal of biomedical waste,” said Kathryn D. Wagner, an analyst for the Office of Technology Assessment, the technical research arm of Congress. Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Small Business subcommittee on regulation and business opportunities, called the hearing. Wyden lashed out at federal agencies for “bungling” the medical waste problem.