State law mandates 'sharps' disposal

The state law that requires syringes and lancets to be disposed of properly goes into effect Monday, and Auburn residents will have a site where they can legally dispose of what are commonly called "sharps."The Auburn Transfer Station on Shale Ridge Road is now prepared to take the sharps, free of charge, from area residents, but sharps must be brought in the appropriate rigid plastic container sold at some pharmacies. Sharps brought in a durable plastic bleach bottle and clearly marked "sharps" will also be accepted, according to Michelle White, an environmental resource specialist with the Placer County Department of Facility Services Environmental Engineering Division. No sharps in plastic or paper bags will be accepted, she said.The Transfer Station will not accept sharps from medical facilities or pharmacies, and neither will Nortech Waste in Roseville. In the past, Nortech Waste, contracted by the Western Placer Management Authority, offered the closest Placer County site where area diabetics could legally dispose of their sharps. While expensive mail-in sharps disposal services do exist, the drive to Roseville was not a viable option for local diabetics and seniors who cannot drive and who are financially strapped.The new disposal service at the Transfer Station will allow residents to comply with state law SB1305, which takes effect Sept. 1. The non-funded state mandate makes it illegal to dispose of sharps waste in the trash or recycling."We are pleased to announce these free, safe and easy disposal options for our residents that help keep 'sharps' out of the trash," said Jim Durfee, Placer County's Director of Facility Services.In a recent press release, Durfee said the county staff is working to find more sharps disposal locations to better meet the needs of residents. Sharps that are not properly disposed of put garbage haulers and employees of the Materials Recovery Facility at risk, "since most of the garbage in Placer County is processed mechanically and manually to recover recycles," Durfee said.In the past, pharmacies such as Longs Drugs accepted the sharps, but lack of state funding for disposal and legal issues have caused Longs and other drug stores to stop offering sharps disposal, according to White of the Placer County Facility Services Environmental Engineering Division."This is an unfunded state law, which makes it more difficult," White said. "We're still working to identify new sites. We've been in touch with various hospital sites but that's as far as we've gotten. It's challenging due to liability issues. Some people improperly package the sharps and rather than put them in a rigid plastic container they put them in a plastic or paper bag. That's not appropriate because somebody has to handle that and there's the possibility of a needle-stick accident."For now, individual needles, lancets or syringes will be accepted free of charge at the Transfer Station on Shale Ridge Road. The site is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.__________________________Free Sharps Disposal SitesTransfer Station12305 Shale Ridge RoadAuburn, CA 95603Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., 7 days a weekWestern Placer WasteManagement Authority3033 Fiddyment RoadRoseville, CA 95747Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week