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<TITLE>Illinois Prohibits Health Facilities from Flushing Meds</TITLE>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">Unless someone is</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#000080">‘</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">caught in the act</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080"> of flushing unused medications, I don</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">’</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">t know how they could monitor and enforce this given the amount of medications that are excreted</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080"> A positive result will be awareness a</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">long with</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080"> better guidance and SOPs in health care facilities.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://wwn-online.com/articles/2009/08/17/illinois-prohibits-health-facilities-from-flushing-meds.aspx"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">http://wwn-online.com/articles/2009/08/17/illinois-prohibits-health-facilities-from-flushing-meds.aspx</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">Illinois Prohibits Health Facilities from Flushing Meds</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">Aug 17, 2009</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Aug. 10 signed several key environmental bills, including one that will prohibit health care institutions from flushing unused medications into public wastewater. Other legislation will track water usage by high capacity wells throughout the state.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">“This action is another important step in protecting our state’s precious natural resources,” said Quinn. “Keeping our water safe from unused medications and tracking water usage will help us preserve our waterways for future generations.”</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">Senate Bill 1919 creates the Pharmaceutical Disposal Act and was sponsored by Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) and Rep. Karen May (D-Highwood). The new law provides that health care institutions may not discharge, dispose, flush, pour or empty any unused medication into a public wastewater collection system or septic system. Violators are subject to a fine.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">"For years, disposing unused or expired medicines in wastewater was common, even recommended practice. Today, we’re making clear how serious we are at stopping this practice before Illinois faces an environmental or community health crisis," said Sen. Garrett.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080">The bill can be found here: </FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><A HREF="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1919&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=76&GA=96"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1919&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=76&GA=96</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A NAME=""><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Deborah L. DeBiasi</FONT></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Email: Deborah.DeBiasi@deq.virginia.gov</FONT></SPAN></B><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><B><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#FF0000" SIZE=2>(NEW!)<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></I></B><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>WEB site address: www.deq.virginia.gov</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Virginia Department of Environmental Quality</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Office of Water Permit Programs</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Industrial Pretreatment/Toxics Management Program</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Mail: P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><B><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"></FONT></SPAN></I></B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><B><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#FF0000" SIZE=2>(NEW!)</FONT></SPAN></I></B><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>Location: 629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>PH: 804-698-4028</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" SIZE=2>FAX: 804-698-4032</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial"> </FONT></SPAN></P>
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