The Utah Attorney General’s office is conducting a criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct at Stericycle’s incinerator in North Salt Lake. It’s part of a multifaceted investigative effort announced Thursday by the Governor’s office.
The investigation was prompted by new allegations brought to the attention of the governor's office last week by the groups Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment and Communities for Clean Air. They asked Governor Herbert to address concerns raised by a whistleblower's interview on EnviroNews. In the interview, a disguised man claiming to be a former employee of Stericycle, said a supervisor knowingly ordered radioactive material to be incinerated. The man also claimed that not all waste material being burned was weighed and accounted for. If true, both claims would violate state law.
In addition to the criminal investigation by the Attorney General’s office, there is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Department of Environmental Quality into regulatory violations. Also, Herbert's office has asked the Utah Labor Commission to look into potential violations of occupational safety and health standards. The announcement comes the same day Stericycle critics are planning a protest outside the plant in North Salt Lake, demanding the governor shut down the facility.
