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Medical waste sent to tip

The South Hedland Waste Management Facility.

Clinical waste - including human tissue, organs and limbs, contaminated surgery room implements and laboratory waste - are ending up in the South Hedland landfill, according to WA Country Health Service and the Town of Port Hedland.

The North West Telegraph understands all general and clinical waste from the hospital and associated health services at the Hedland Health Campus are disposed of at the local tip, rather than being incinerated.

But despite being a dumping ground for body parts, among other things, WACHS regional director Ron Wynn said he had never received reports of human tissue being unearthed at the site.

He said the disposal of such waste at the landfill was carried out in accordance with the Town's environmental health regulations.

"General waste from the hospital and associated health services at the Hedland Health Campus poses no greater risk than general household waste sent for disposal at the Town of Port Hedland landfill," he said.

"Clinical waste is disposed at a separate area of the Town of Port Hedland landfill in accordance with the Town of Port Hedland environmental health regulations.

"The hospital and health services at the Hedland Health Campus' general and clinical waste disposal methods comply with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004 and the Town of Port Hedland environmental health regulations."

Mr Wynn said there were strict conditions for incinerators and there was no licence for burning clinical waste in the Pilbara.

Town chief executive Mal Osborne said the class 2 licence for landfill allowed it to accept clinical and biomedical waste.

"We have separate disposal points for household, industrial and special waste. Special waste includes asbestos and medical waste," he said.

"Only authorised personnel are allowed in this area. Stringent requirements are in place around the management of this pit, including appropriate coverage, compaction and registration of waste products.

"The hospital is also required to provide advanced notice to the landfill of incoming waste.

"If we think a certain type of waste can't be disposed of at the landfill, we refer to a technical consultant for the correct disposal method."