RATIONALE FOR REISSUANCE
Clean Earth, Inc.
Clean Earth Medical Waste Processing Facility
Forrest County
Solid Waste SW0180050500
Date Application Received: August 31, 2022

I.	FACILITY INFORMATION

Facility Name:  	Clean Earth Medical Waste Processing Facility
Facility Owner:	Clean Earth, Inc.
Physical Address:	89 Wesley Grant Road
Hattiesburg, MS 39401    
Permit No.:		SW0180050500
Permit Writer:		Ross D. Williams, RPG 
Waste Division:	Solid Waste Permitting Branch

II.	NATURE OF BUSINESS AND CURRENT CONDITIONS

Clean Earth, Inc. (Clean Earth) currently owns and operates a medical waste processing facility at the reference location in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  The site was originally permitted in July 2002. The facility processes infectious medical waste as defined by the Mississippi State Department of Health and other medical wastes from health care facilities. The facility utilizes a rotoclave unit to process medical waste through steam sterilization to render the waste non-infectious. The processed medical waste is then sent to the Pine Belt Regional Landfill for disposal.

III.	PROPOSED PERMITTING ACTION(S)

Clean Earth has submitted a solid waste application for the renewal of the existing medical waste processing permit (SW0180050500).  No changes to the previously approved operations or siting criteria are proposed with this application.  

IV.	LOCATION AND TOTAL PROPERTY AREA

The processing facility is located in an enclosed building at 89 Wesley Grant Road, north of Hattiesburg, MS. This property is located in Section 20, Township 5 North, Range 13 West of Forrest County. The total property is 3.77 acres, and the building where the processing activities takes place is approximately 5900 square feet.

V.	LOCAL SOLID WASTE PLANNING and ZONING INFORMATION

The proposed permit action is consistent with the Forrest County Solid Waste Management Plan (Plan). The Forrest County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to include the processing facility at the subject location on September 20, 2001, and later approved by the MDEQ under Administrative Order No. 4322 01. The revised Plan was approved by MDEQ under Administrative Order No.  6272 13 issued on June 20, 2013. 

Additionally, a letter dated November 18, 2025, from the Forrest County Planning Department states that Forrest County does not have zoning laws, therefore there are no zoning requirements associated with this processing facility. 

The Forrest County Solid Waste Management Plan describes the service area for the proposed solid waste processing facility as approved by the Forrest County Board of Supervisors. The approved service area for the facility includes the following states: Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, and 18 counties in the panhandle of Florida including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor.

VI.	DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

In accordance with State Law, the applicants filed a disclosure statement describing the company’s structure, key officers and members, other affiliated businesses, and any civil or criminal violations. The MDEQ Legal Division determined the disclosure statement for Clean Earth, Inc. to be completed on January 17, 2025.  An update of this disclosure statement is required to be provided to the MDEQ annually.

VII.	SITING CRITERIA

There are no modifications or variances to the Mississippi Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management Regulations sitting criteria proposed with this application. 

VIII.	WASTE ACCEPTANCE INFORMATION

A.	TYPES OF WASTE

Authorized waste includes infectious medical waste, medical waste, and associated facility waste. Infectious medical wastes include solid and liquid wastes that may contain pathogens with sufficient virulence and quantity such that exposure by a susceptible host may result in an infectious disease. Medical wastes include waste generated in direct patient care or in diagnostic or research areas that are non-infectious and non-hazardous but may be aesthetically repugnant if found in the environment.  Associated facility wastes include other small amounts of solid wastes derived indirectly from patient care, diagnostic, or research activities, hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, dentist offices, home care agencies, schools/Universities, veterinary clinics, and external haulers.

B.	QUANTITY AND STORAGE CAPACITY

The facility has a rotoclave treatment unit which can treat approximately 225 tons of medical waste per month/1.25 tons of medical waste per working hour. The storwaste untreated medical wastes shall be limited to the equivalent of one (1) day of processing capacity. The storage of treated medical wastes shall be limited to the equivalent of three (3) full compaction unit roll-off containers (approximately 30 tons).  Acceptable wastes are regulated medical waste as defined in the Mississippi Department of Health publication “Adopted Standards for the Regulation of Medical Waste” in Health Care Facilities licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

IX.	PROCESS WATER

Process water resulting from the rotoclave process and equipment wash will be collected, stored on site, and transported to the City of Hattiesburg-South Lagoon for treatment.  Due to the quantity and composition of the wastewater produced, pretreatment permitting is not required.  However, prior to disposal of the wastewater stream at the POTW, the POTW is requiring the wastewater be analyzed for BOD, TSS, and TKN.

X.	BUILDING DETAILS

The facility operations are managed within 3.77 acres which is fenced and gated.  Further, the operations are enclosed within an approximate 5,900-foot sheet metal structure supported by a raised concrete foundation.  

XI.	PROCESSING SCHEDULE

Medical waste is treated daily. Medical waste is received at the facility by various medical waste generators and treated daily. Typically, eight to 10 tons are treated and transported daily for disposal.

XII.	TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY

Medical waste is delivered to the facility in carts and is first weighed and screened for radioactivity. The waste is then staged for treatment.  The seal on the cart is broken immediately prior to loading into the rotoclave. An autoloader is utilized to empty the carts into the rotoclave minimizing contact by company employees with the waste. 

After the rotoclave is filled to maximum capacity the rotoclave is then pressurized to 50 to 55 psi and steam is utilized to bring the vessel temperature to a minimum of 275 F.  The inner drum turns constantly for the process time of 30 min.  Computer monitoring regulates temperature, and it restarts the cycle if the temperature at any point falls below 275 F. Upon completion of the sterilization process the vessel and processed waste undergoes a cool down and drying process.  

This process releases approximately 4 gallons of sterile condensate, which is released to a holding tank.  The remainder of distilled condensate is recycled to the boiler for future reuse. The rotoclave expels the processed material to a conveyor where it is transported to a shredder and then to a 32 cubic foot compactor. Compacted waste is sent for disposal at the Pine Belt Regional Solid Waste Landfill. Each reusable cart is washed with soap, rinsed with water in excess of 180 F, and sprayed with a Quaternary spray. Residual quaternary spray remains in the cart for disinfection.

XIII.	FACILITY CONTACT INFORMATION

Daniel Lee
Operations Manager
89 Wesley Grant Road
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
(601) 544-9960