Medical waste, including syringes and urine samples, found along NJ creek
Medical waste, including syringes, vaccine vials and urine samples, was removed along Woodbury Creek after Action News contacted the healthcare company that owns the property.
The waste was first noticed by Chris Cooper of Wenonah, who was fishing in the area last weekend. He said he’d never seen anything like it before and contacted Action News with his concerns.
Cooper said he noticed scattered objects before realizing the extent of the problem.
“I started walking around and noticed the medical gloves, then the urine containers, then the medicine bottles,” he said.
The site is located on North Broad Street and West Red Bank Avenue, between Woodbury Creek and Inspira Health’s parking lot.
Nearby dumpsters sit close to the ground with additional waste on the ground, including complete urine samples, some labeled with names.
Cooper said some of the debris was floating in the water, raising public safety concerns.
“It’s very concerning, especially for all the kids who use this road to get to and from school. People walk their dogs here. I bring my kids here sometimes when I go fishing. It’s disgusting,” Cooper said.
It is owned by Inspira Health. After Action News reached out for comment, employees arrived on site with waste containers within about an hour to begin cleanup.
The company’s spokesperson made the following statement:
“The safety and well-being of Inspira Health’s patients, staff, visitors and the surrounding community is at the center of everything we do. We are aware of medical waste recently found near a medical office building on the Woodbury campus and have no reason to believe that debris originated from Inspira. The site was fully cleared after it was brought to our attention. Our support teams are investigating how this occurred and are actively monitoring the site to ensure there is no additional debris.”
Cooper said he was relieved to see the materials were removed without harming anyone.
“If a medicine bottle is picked up from the wrong place, someone could definitely get sick,” he said.
