Medical waste disposal halted at Ore. power plant
SALEM, Ore. — An Oregon county has ordered a temporary halt to the disposal of medical waste at its waste-to-energy garbage burner after learning that human fetuses could be among the materials delivered to the facility.
Marion County Commissioners Sam Brentano and Janet Carlson said Thursday that they were shocked by reports in the Canadian media that aborted fetuses from Vancouver, British Columbia, were being sent to the facility in Brooks, Ore. They said they first learned about this issue late Wednesday afternoon.
"No rule or law has been broken, but there is an ethical standard broken," Brentano said at an emergency board meeting Thursday morning.
Brentano said he had not attempted to verify media reports that fetal tissue was destroyed at the garbage burner. But he said county ordinances didn't specifically exclude fetuses from materials that could be burned at the facility. Several private companies bring medical waste to the county's garbage burner, which use waste to generate electricity.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners told staff to begin investigating changes to county ordinances and contracts with medical waste brokers to ban fetal material from disposal at the garbage burner.
The facility is owned and operated by Covanta Marion in a partnership with the county. It processes 550 tons of municipal solid waste a day, with only a small portion coming from medical sources. According to its website, it generates up to 13.1 megawatts of renewable energy sold to Portland General Electric.
"I am horrified," said Carlson. "There are not enough strong words to express how I am feeling."
The waste disposal contracts legally require 30 days notice before they can be terminated or amended. Carlson demanded that the disposal of fetal material end immediately, even at the risk of lawsuit.
"In this instance, it would be worth the fight," Carlson said.
Both Carlson and Brentano said they were opposed to abortion.
Covanta Marion did not immediately return a phone message to the Associated Press seeking comment. The firm did not have a representative at the hearing.
Contributing: The Associated Press