NEW: Tassoni Calls for Safe Disposal of Potentially Toxic Human Waste
Friday, April 13, 2012
Legislation sponsored by Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr. and heard this week by the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services would require the safe disposal of potentially toxic human waste, with any associated expenses covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance.
Senator Tassoni (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Smithfield) said the legislation, (2012-S2640), is intended to prevent the introduction of pollutants into the groundwater of the state in concentrations that are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic.
“It is acknowledged by medical experts that bodily wastes of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment may contain levels of chemicals that are toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic for a certain period of time,” said Senator Tassoni. The American Cancer Society, he said, has published a comprehensive list of safety precautions regarding the in-home personal hygiene for individuals undergoing chemotherapy and their families.
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The bill would require physicians, pharmacists or other health care professionals licensed to prescribe and/or administer chemotherapy treatment to provide written notice to patients undergoing such treatment as to the hazards posed to patients and their families in a residential setting of excreted human waste. It would also require the health care professionals to provide a sufficient collection method and a means for safe and proper disposal of such collected waste.
The legislation would require that all expenses incurred as a result the proper collection and disposal of such waste to be paid by Medicare, Medicaid or any private insurance company providing health care insurance to the chemotherapy patients.
Although the American Cancer Society’s safety precautions do not suggest the use of any specially designed equipment, Senator Tassoni said that there are containers on the market designed for the safe collection and disposal of this kind of potentially toxic waste. Individuals undergoing chemotherapy who choose to purchase and use these items should have the cost covered by Medicare, Medicaid or their private insurance plan.
“There are an estimated 1.5 million people in America annually receiving chemotherapy treatments,” said Senator Tassoni. “According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, no exposure level to these drugs is safe. And at the final stage of use, these drugs are literally being flushed down the toilet. In the case of a house with a septic system, they are polluting the leaching field, poisoning the well and finding their way into the groundwater.”
An identical House bill, (2012-H8013), was introduced by Rep. Thomas Winfield (D-Dist. 53, Smithfield, Glocester) and is currently before the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare.
Similar legislation has been introduced in Massachusetts to require physicians to provide chemotherapy patients with the means to collect and dispose of bodily wastes for the first few days after their treatment when chemo drugs are leaving the body.
“Steps need to be taken to make sure these patients, their families and the rest of the public is kept safe,” said Senator Tassoni.
