"Treated RMW" means RMW that has been treated to substantially reduce or eliminate its potential for causing disease, but has not yet been destroyed (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5).

"Destroyed RMW" means RMW that is no longer generally recognizable as RMW because all components of the waste have been ruined, torn apart, or mutilated to produce unrecognizable and unusable pieces smaller than three-quarters of an inch, except that all sharps must be smaller than one-half inch. It does not mean compaction or encapsulation except through:

1. Processes such as thermal treatment or melting, during which treatment and destruction occur;
2. Processes such as shredding, grinding, tearing, or breaking, during which only destruction takes place; or
3. Processes that melt plastics and fully encapsulate metallic or other sharps in the melted plastic and, in addition, the resulting melted plastic mass must be completely sealed in a secondary puncture-proof container that will not be opened or penetrated by undestroyed sharps in any circumstance of handling.

Noncontiguous properties owned or operated by the same person are separate sites and in the case where more than one person (for example, doctors with separate medical practices) are located in the same building and office, each individual business entity is a separate generator for the purposes of this subchapter. However, households utilizing home self-care are not generators.

USE OF THE
TRACKING FORM

The New Jersey medical waste regulations require all medical waste generators, transporters, intermediate handlers and destination facilities to track RMW, regardless of the amount generated. Each generator shipping RMW off site is responsible for initiating the tracking form. Each person in the chain of custody (handling process) of RMW assumes the responsibility for getting the waste to the proper destination facility for treatment, destruction or disposal. Portions of the tracking form must be completed by the RMW generators, transporters, intermediate handlers and by destination or disposal facilities (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.19, 3A.31 and 3A.41).

In addition, RMW generated in New Jersey but transported for disposal to another state, which prints and requires use of its own tracking form, must also be reported on that state's tracking form (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.19(a)).

Copy 6 - Generator Copy - retained by generator
Copy 3, 4 & 5 - Transporter Copy - retained by transporter
Copy 2 - Destination Facility Copy - retained by destination facility owner/operator
Copy 1 - Generator Copy - mailed by destination facility back to generator

Transporter - Box 16

The transporter completes Box 16 verifying receipt of the RMW, which is described in Boxes 11, 12, and 13.

The generator then removes and retains copy 6 - Generator Copy.

The tracking form copies 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are retained by the transporter and accompany the RMW to the destination facility.

Transporter 2/Intermediate Handler - Box 17 - 21

If the RMW is given to a second transporter or intermediate handler, Boxes 17 through 21 must be completed

Intermediate handlers that treat or destroy RMW are required to initiate a new tracking form since the waste still requires transport to a final disposal site.

Box 20, the certification, must be signed and the new tracking form number must be placed in Box 21. In this instance, the intermediate handler becomes a "new" generator (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.41). A transporter may choose to consolidate individual shipments of RMW weighing less than 220 pounds to a single tracking form (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.33). The transporter now becomes the "new" generator and transporter on the new tracking form. When the "new" generator/transporter receives the signed and completed consolidated tracking form, Copy 1, the "new" generator/transporter must:

a. Attach a copy of the completed "new" tracking form to the original generator's tracking form and
retain a copy of the "new" and original tracking form.

b. Return a copy of each tracking form to the original generators within 15 days of receipt of the
"new" tracking form (Copy 1) from the destination facility.

c. Maintain a transporter consolidation log on Department forms indicating all shipments that have
been consolidated. This log must accompany the tracking form and include:

i. Name, address, identification number of the original generator;
ii. Date of original shipment;
iii. Quantity, in pounds, by waste category, of the RMW shipped by each generator; and
iv. The names and NJDEP registration numbers of all previous transporters.

Destination Facility - Boxes 22 - 23

Upon delivery of the RMW to the destination facility, the facility operator verifies the data contained in Boxes 11, 12, and 13 and completes Box 22.

Any discrepancies * between the information in Boxes 11, 12 and 13 and the shipment received must be noted in Box 23. The destination facility must mail Copy 1 to the generator.

The generator, transporter and facility must maintain all copies for a period of three years.

* Discrepancies may include, but are not limited to: variation in the number or weight of the shipment, variation of the waste by categories (i.e. treated or untreated designation), broken, torn or leaking packaging, or a missing or incomplete tracking form.

Should there be discrepancies between the tracking form information and the actual shipment, the destination facility operator must attempt to resolve the issue with the waste generator and/or transporter by telephone. If the discrepancy is not resolved, the destination facility operator must notify the Department in writing within 15 days of receiving the waste, describing the nature of the discrepancy and the attempts made to reconcile it. This letter shall include a copy of the tracking form, or if no tracking form was received a report of the quantity of waste received, the name of the transporter and the generator. The letter shall be sent to the NJDEP, Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste, Bureau of Resource Recovery and Technical Programs, PO Box 414, Trenton, NJ 08625-0414. (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.40.42).

If the generator has not received a completed copy of the tracking form signed by the owner of the destination facility within 45 days of the date the waste was accepted by the initial transporter, the generator must submit an Exception Report to the NJDEP, Bureau of Solid Waste Compliance and Enforcement, PO Box 407, Trenton, NJ 08625-0407 (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.22). The Exception Report must be post-marked on or before the 46th day and must include:

a. A legible copy of the original tracking form for which the generator does not have confirmation of delivery; and
b. A cover letter signed by the generator or an authorized representative explaining the efforts taken to locate the RMW and its final disposition, if ascertained, and the results of those efforts.

A copy of the Exception Report shall be kept by the generator for a period of at least three (3) years from the date of the exception report was submitted unless the NJDEP specifically requests an additional retention period.