Plant burning medical waste near homes gets Utah OK to move

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah environmental regulators have approved plans from a medical waste burning plant cited for toxic emissions in a neighborhood to relocate to a more rural part of the state.

Utah's Department of Environmental Quality on Friday approved permits from Illinois-based Stericycle, Inc. to relocate its incinerator from North Salt Lake City to Tooele County and burn two and half times more medical waste each year.

The waste includes human tissue and fluid, surgical tools, needles, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

Stericycle in late 2014 agreed to pay a $2.3 million fine and move its facility out of an area near suburban neighborhoods after officials found it exceeded emissions limits between 2011 and 2013.

The company said in a statement Friday that it's pleased to have its permits approved and that it will begin site planning and seeking county permits.