In connection with the signals for transportation of hazardous hospital waste at the Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill - Sadinata, experts from the Regional Environmental and Water Inspectorate (RIEW) - Sofia carried out a joint inspection with representatives of the Sofia Regional Health Inspectorate, Sofia Inspectorate and Sofia Municipality of the University Hospital "N. I. Pirogov” EAD.

The inspection studied the waste path from its generation, decontamination, and storage to its preparation for subsequent disposal by persons holding permit documents issued under Article 35 of the Waste Management Act.

During the inspection it was found that all hazardous waste is stored separately in specialised containers and in separate areas with restricted access. There is a decontamination plant for hospital hazardous waste on the premises of the establishment which was operational on the day of the inspection. The decontaminated waste is delivered for transport by a company holding a registration document for the collection and transport of waste to the Sadinata non-hazardous waste landfill, in accordance with the active contracts.

The inspection did not establish any mixing of domestic and biological waste on the hospital premises.

The control of waste reception at the landfill site is carried out by and is the responsibility of the landfill operator, which must comply with the procedure in Article 36 of Ordinance No 6 of 27 August 2013 on the conditions and requirements for the construction and operation of landfills and other facilities and installations for the recovery and disposal of waste.

In the event of an established discrepancy between the type of waste received and its accompanying documentation, the landfill operator shall refuse to accept it at the landfill.

We would also like to inform that according to Art. 1 of the Waste Management Act, the mayor of the municipality or an official authorised by him shall control:

- the activities related to the generation, collection, separation, storage, transportation, treatment of municipal and construction waste;

- activities related to the disposal of production and hazardous waste at municipal and/or regional landfills;

- compliance with other requirements laid down in the Ordinance referred to in Article 22.

In accordance with the requirements of Ordinance No. 1 of 9.02.2015 on the requirements for waste collection and treatment activities on the territory of medical and healthcare institutions, the RIEW in hospital facilities shall control:

1. reporting documents according to the Ordinance No. 1 of 2014 on the procedure and forms for providing information on waste activities and the procedure for keeping public registers;
2. existence of written contracts with persons who hold the relevant document under Article 35 of the Waster Management Act and who carry out waste transportation outside the territory of the establishments referred to in Article 1, paragraph 1, item 1 of the Act and/or their treatment;
3. classification of waste in accordance with the requirements of Regulation No 2 of 2014 on the classification of waste, secondary packaging and labelling of waste and its transfer for treatment;
4. fulfilment of the conditions in the documents issued under Chapter Five, Section I and II of the Waste Management Act.

In relation to the above, it is necessary that all persons involved in the activities of generation, storage, transportation and disposal of waste strictly comply with their responsibilities and legal obligations in order to prevent the unregulated disposal of hazardous waste.