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NORTH SALT LAKE — When news broke that a medical waste incinerator in North Salt Lake was putting too much pollution into the air, hundreds of residents decided to take action.
For some residents, like Sarah Sargent, news of the pollution came in the form of media coverage.
Sargent's family bought a home in the Foxboro neighborhood in December and didn't know Stericycle was pumping medical waste into the air her children breathe.
"I was extremely angry," she said. "How can they do that? How can they do that to families? How can they do that to all of these schools that are around here?"
Outrage came after Stericycle received a notice of violation from the Utah Division of Air Quality. It was a 15-page document detailing the past two years, in which the company emitted more toxins into the air than their permits allowed.
The notice also alleged the company attempted to manipulate paperwork to show it was within allowable limits of pollution.
"People are mad," said Alicia Connell, another upset resident. "They're wondering if their child a heart defect, if this was why."
Connell was one of many residents who went to the North Salt Lake City Council meeting Tuesday night to voice concerns and try to get answers.
We want stricter regulations, we want to know they're being tested more often and we want to know that what is going into the air is safe for our kids.
–Alicia Connell
"A fine to me is not enough," she said. "We want stricter regulations, we want to know they're being tested more often and we want to know that what is going into the air is safe for our kids."
However, Sargent said added regulations aren't enough either; she said city leaders and state agencies need to step in and force Stericycle out.
"If it's proven that they've been falsifying reports, who's to say that they won't just continue falsifying the reports," she said.
Stericycle did not respond to KSL's phone calls or contact attempts.
