Committee approves stronger enforcement of infectious waste rules after grim testimony from recycling plant

Senate File 4187, carried by Senator Sandy Pappas, would strengthen enforcement of the Infectious Waste Control Act by requiring regular audits of generators, increasing fines for improper disposal and funding training materials for generators. The bill was prompted by repeated incidents at the Ramsey Washington Recycling & Energy Center (R&E), where staff documented bloody loads, sharps, IV tubing and, in some cases, body parts.

Washington County Commissioner Carla Bigham and R&E staff recounted the risks and cleanup costs. "We're talking about blood and body parts that are liquid, squishy, and moist," Bigham said, calling it a worker safety bill. R&E employee Sean Donovan described the trauma and safety hazards of finding human remains and sharps among municipal waste and estimated the problem intensified around Memorial Day 2023. Facility director Sam Hall testified he documented 183 separate verified incidents since September 2023 and said each cleanup can cost $5,000–$7,000 in contractor labor.

Union and plant witnesses described frontline safety and mental‑health impacts for workers asked to hand‑sort infected loads. "I didn't sign up to deal with blood and guts," said Sean Donovan, an IBEW Local 23 steward.

The Minnesota Hospital Association (Michelle Benson) urged amendments, saying hospitals already operate under multiple regulatory systems (MDH, MPCA, OSHA, CMS) and noting the MPCA has authority to impose corrective actions. Benson pointed to a reduction in reported incidents from 106 apparent incidents in 2023 to 28 in 2025 in the packet and expressed concern that the draft's $200,000–$2,000,000 penalty range and license‑related sanctions are unclear and may be disproportionate.

MPCA assistant commissioner Kirk Adelka described existing agency enforcement efforts and said the agency can and does investigate and trace generators for enforcement when evidence allows. He said those authorities and due‑process protections would remain.

Committee members asked about chain of custody for mixed loads, how transfer stations track origins and whether MPCA has adequate staffing for proactive education. Senator Pappas said the bill's penalties were meant to bring attention to a persistent problem and that fines are negotiable as the language develops. After discussion, Senator Bolden moved passage and referral to the Environment Committee; the committee held a roll‑call vote with six yes votes and three no votes, and SF 4187 passed and was referred to the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee.