The Health Department is given authority under Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code (80kb PDF) to regulate facilities that handle, segregate, store, transport or dispose of biomedical waste products. We monitor facilities that generate these types of waste including hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, physicians and veterinarians. There are 330 biomedical waste generators in St. Lucie County of which 75 generate at least 25 pounds of biomedical waste in any given month and are inspected and permitted annually. Another 255 facilities generating less than 25 pounds in any 30-day period are considered "exempt" from annual inspection. These are inspected at least every three years.