The Santa Clara County-run hospital system is currently under investigation for illegal disposal of hazardous waste, which may lead to significant penalties, as reported by the District Attorney’s Office. The hospitals involved—Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O’Connor Hospital, and St. Louise Hospital—are accused of improperly mixing dangerous materials such as blood-filled vials, human tissue, fentanyl, and confidential patient records with regular trash. Despite being warned by the District Attorney’s Office earlier this year, these practices allegedly continued.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen emphasized that the hospital system is funded by taxpayers and must comply with environmental and privacy laws. The investigation, which began in November 2023, involved DA investigators conducting surprise inspections while wearing protective gear. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control also participated in these inspections. Items found inappropriately discarded include human tissue, blood, non-empty vials of drugs, hazardous waste, batteries, electronic waste, and documents containing unredacted personal information. The District Attorney’s Office estimates that tens of thousands of hazardous waste items were improperly disposed of.
