Task Force Steps Up Investigation to Discover Origin of Medical Waste

An ensemble of local and federal agencies, led by a full-time investigator, is intensifying efforts to find the origin of potentially dangerous medical waste that has washed onto San Diego’s shoreline, officials said Wednesday.

The recurring reports of medical waste, including such potentially hazardous items as tissue cultures and blood vials, and innocuous materials such as surgical gloves, have stirred public concern and forced officials to launch investigations to determine the debris’ origin.

On Wednesday, Cathy Brice, an investigator assigned by the county’s Hazardous Waste Task Force, spent her first full day tracing clues that might explain the disturbing episodes in which medical debris has littered beaches from Carlsbad to Imperial Beach.

The task force was established over a year ago in response to the growing concern about hazardous waste, said Linda Miller, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County district attorney’s office.

In addition to the district attorney’s office, 14 local, state and federal agencies form the task force’s nucleus, which is responsible for investigating illegal disposal of hazardous waste in the county, Miller said.

Meanwhile, the Navy and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are conducting separate investigations over allegations of illegal dumping.

“So far, the (county) health department has been collecting all this material,” Miller said. “They’ve turned that over and now the investigator will work with them to assess how to proceed. Her main goal is to find out where this material is coming from.”

Since the first finding of medical waste in late October--when a vial of blood, a syringe and other items washed up on La Jolla beaches--there have been numerous reports about the discovery of medical paraphernalia.

Raised Fear of Public

Miller said that accounts of each episode--even when the items found have been deemed harmless--have unnecessarily frightened the public and could impede the investigator’s efforts.

“From now on, we will not be giving a blow-by-blow account,” Miller said. “I do not believe we will be reporting daily on (the discovery) of harmless medical items. Of course, if there is the possibility of any danger to the public, we will notify them at once.”

For example, Miller cited the irrelevance of the reporting of a pen from a medical center that washed onto a beach.

“It was a pen from a medical facility, but we don’t know where it came from. . . . It could have fallen out of someone’s pocket,” Miller said. “We don’t need people overreacting. Again, I want to emphasize that if there is a potential health hazard we will let everybody know.”

Although Miller could not say when the investigation would be completed, she said once done, the results will be presented to the task force.

“Depending on what we find, we can then assign the case to whichever member agency is best suited to handle it,” Miller said. “If a regulatory action needs to be taken, the health department might handle it. If there is a possibility of criminal prosecution, we might handle it.”

Although the EPA is a member on the task force, the federal agency’s San Francisco regional office--which covers the state--is conducting its own investigation, said EPA spokeswoman Lois Grunwald. She said the office was contacted by the health department in Orange County, which has also encountered medical waste dumping problems.

Grunwald said the EPA is trying to assess whether there has been a violation of the Marine Protection Resources and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, which regulates ocean dumping. If found guilty of violating the act, Grunwald said the EPA could levy a maximum penalty of $50,000 a day per violation and a year in prison.