Santa Clara County Hospitals Accused of Illegally Disposing Hazardous Medical Waste

District Attorney alleges biohazardous materials, patient data, and narcotics were improperly discarded by county-run facilities.

Santa Clara County hospitals are under investigation for allegedly mishandling hazardous medical waste, including human tissue, blood, and prescription drugs such as fentanyl.
Investigators discovered unredacted patient records and biohazardous materials in regular trash compactors during inspections beginning in November 2023.
The District Attorney's Office estimates that over 1,000 tons of contaminated waste were improperly disposed of by the three county-run hospitals in the past year.
The hospitals face potential civil penalties of up to $70,000 per instance of hazardous waste disposal and $10,000 per instance of medical waste disposal.
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare has pledged to address the violations by updating policies, implementing audits, and adopting best practices for waste management.