Medical facilities generating biomedical waste are required to register with the DEP. Facilities will receive a non-transferrable, generator (shipper) registration number.

Registration fees are shown below:

• Initial registration fee of $50 per facility

• An annual assessment fee is charged based on the average amount of Biomedical Waste the facility produces each month

  • Annual fees are determined by the amount of RMW generated:

  • < 10 pounds per month = $25 fee
  • 10 to 50 pounds per month = $50 fee
  • > 50 pounds per month = $500 fee

Generators of LESS than 50 pounds of regulated medical waste per month are classified as Small Quantity Generators. Registration, rules, and regulations still need to be followed.

A written Biomedical Waste Management Plan (BWMP) is required for your facility and must include the following:

• Description of waste, type, and volume

• Handling procedures (location of storage areas, etc.)

• Disposal/treatment methods

• Personnel training procedures

• Spill containment and clean up procedures

• Name, address, and telephone number of person(s) responsible for biomedical waste at facility

• Certification is granted upon registering that the BWMP has been created with the Maine DEP

The plan must be made available for an inspection by Maine DEP. Your facility may be exempt if less than 50 pounds of waste per month is generated, but you must still file your registration and follow all other required rules and regulations.

RMW may be sent to a treatment facility via USPS

Storage Requirements

• Kept in a clean, designated, and segregated area

• Limited access to prevent unauthorized entry

• Integrity of container preserved

• Not conducive to putrefaction

• No trash chutes or trash compactors

• Pathological waste, cultures, and animal carcasses refrigerated at 45F or below in a dedicated refrigerator

• Clearly identified as Regulated Medical Waste with Biohazard signs on doors, refrigerators, bins, and other containers