Medical waste rules in Augusta, GA
Georgia regulates biomedical waste through the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources under Rule 391-3-4-.15 of the Solid Waste Management rules, with the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act (O.C.G.A. 12-8-20 et seq.) behind it. The rule draws its main line at 100 pounds a month.
- What counts (391-3-4-.15(2)): pathological waste; biological waste such as blood, blood products and body fluids with free liquids that are not discharged to a sewer; cultures and stocks; contaminated animal carcasses and bedding; sharps; chemotherapy waste that has contacted cytotoxic agents; and discarded medical equipment that has not been decontaminated.
- Small generators: a facility generating less than 100 pounds a month is exempt from most of the rule but must still follow the containment, segregation, sharps, labeling and disposal paragraphs ((3)(b)). Its treated or untreated waste goes to a permitted municipal solid waste landfill or treatment facility ((7)(b)); landfilling untreated waste from larger generators is prohibited ((7)(c)).
- Containment (4): store biomedical waste where it is protected from animals, rain and wind and does not feed insects or rodents; segregate it from other waste at the point of origin in securely closed containers; sharps go in leak-proof, rigid, puncture-resistant containers.
- Labeling ((4)(c), (4)(d)): containers are red or orange or marked with the universal biohazard symbol or the word Biohazard; outer pails, cartons, drums or bins carry the symbol and the word Biohazard on the sides, and reusable containers are decontaminated each time they are emptied.
- Transfer (5): custody passes only to a collector operating under the rules, to a facility with a valid operating permit; biomedical waste is not carried in a vehicle used for food.
- Treatment (6): incineration (a secondary chamber of at least 1,800°F for chemotherapy waste), autoclaving at 121°C (250°F) for at least half an hour, or another method approved by the Director. Recognizable human anatomical remains are never landfilled.
- The rule itself sets no on-site storage day limit or record-retention period; pickup frequency and documentation are set by the generator's program and its collector.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-3-4-.15, Biomedical Waste.
Reviewed September 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements change; we confirm what applies to your facility during onboarding.Georgia overviewAll states