MOD stores biological waste from mass testing safely in line with legislation

In storing biological waste from the mass testing as part of Op Shared Responsibility, the Ministry of Defence acts absolutely responsibly, safely and fully in line with the requirements for storage of hazardous waste, as set out in Ministry of Environment regulations. The Slovak Armed Forces are storing the waste from COVID-19 testing at the Mokraď military facility in Liptovský Mikuláš district.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “We are aware that if we deal with biological waste which could be contaminated by any infection, we must pay due attention to its storage and disposal. That’s why we proceed so as to prevent any threat to people or the environment.”

Responding to media assertions that special conditions apply to the storage and “packaging” of medical waste, Mr Naď said: “This waste does not come from medical facilities, but from test sites which are not classified as medical facilities. For this reason, we are subject to the rules governed by the Environmental Permitting Regulations of the Ministry of Environment, especially the Wastes Act and the associated Directive of the Ministry of Environment.”

He further explained that no obligation for “packaging” of medical waste is set out in the Wastes Act. It is essential that the storage of such waste must be in compliance with existing legislation. Accordingly, the storage site must have a firm, leak-proof and resistant surface, one which protects against hazardous substances and any outside influence. “The locked and secured hangar at the Mokraď military facility meets all these conditions,” confirmed the head of the MOD.

Neither the MOD nor the Central Military Hospital carry on waste disposal operations. “We only store the waste, this means we store it temporarily only to be further handled and disposed of. So, it will be handed over to a person authorised to deal with it,” he explained, noting that the waste can be picked up by a facility authorised to store or manage, treat, and dispose of hazardous waste, such as a storage company or a waste incineration plant.

This waste is permitted to be stored under the conditions mentioned above for a period of up to one year. Therefore, there is no need to dispose of it in a hasty manner, but it is important to find a most advantageous solution, both ecologically and economically. In this way the MOD wants to help the Central Military Hospital, which has 300 tonnes of medical waste to be disposed of by a contractor.