The Environmental Enforcement Authority authorized operators registered in the National Registry of Hazardous Waste Generators and Operators who have incineration technology to dispose of hazardous waste. The agency invited the competent provincial authorities to adopt or issue similar regulations.
Given that the coronavirus pandemic could cause a possible exponential growth in the generation of pathological waste, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development issued Resolution No. 144/20 (hereinafter, the “Resolution”), which authorizes operators registered in the national registry that carry out hazardous waste disposal operations from various waste streams included in Annex I of Law No. 24,051, through incineration technology, to carry out pathological waste disposal operations (Waste Stream Y1, cited Annex) using said technology.
To this end, operators must notify the Hazardous Waste Coordination of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in advance at the following email address: simel@ambiente.gob.ar. This email address must identify (i) the generator, (ii) the quantity of waste treated, and (iii) the manifest number. They must also have a valid Annual Environmental Certificate, and their collection areas must comply with the conditions established in Resolution No. 177/17 of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
The Resolution invites the authorities of the Provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, within the scope of their respective powers, to adhere to the provisions of the Resolution or to issue regulations of a similar nature.
The Resolution was published on May 8, 2020, in the Official Gazette of the Argentine Republic.
