A company wants to repurpose a vacant one-story warehouse structure in El Paso’s lower valley area, transforming the site into a new medical waste facility.
The Amarillo, Texas-based Medcare Environmental Solutions says that facility would be used for the treatment of biohazardous medical waste brought in from such sources as area hospitals, laboratories, and veterinarian offices.
The facility would be open 24 hours with the biohazardous materials stored both inside the building and at the building site at 9119 Billy the Kid Street.
According to documents, the water used in the process of treating the biohazardous material would eventually be discarded into the city’s sewer system.
The more than 11,000 square foot building planned for the facility’s operation houses a 9,600 square foot warehouse space as well as nearly 1,500 square feet of office space.
The company has earlier stated that its use of innovative technology guarantees the disposal of waste in both an “environmentally safe and economical manner.”
The project has sparked concerns among nearby residents and community activists regarding safety issues, and whether wastewater from the facility could end up in the city’s water supply.
Currently under review by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the facility is required to secure the approval of the City of El Paso before becoming operational.
By Garry Boulard
