The name of the Texas company that is eyeing Nesquehoning as it expands its operations has been revealed.

Alpha Bio-Med Services LLC, Sharps Compliance Inc., a medical waste processing facility based out of Houston, Texas, is proposing to move into the 40,000-square-foot building at 600 Industrial Road.The company is currently applying to the state Department of Environmental Protection for approval to operate the facility.Kathy Henderson, director of economic development with the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp., who announced the new business last month at the Carbon County Commissioners meeting, confirmed that this is the company that signed the lease for CCEDC's building.Alpha Bio-Med Services LLC, Sharps Compliance Inc. is a recently merged company that is looking to expand its operations. This will be the second medical waste processing facility operating within the borough limits. Bio-Haz Solutions is located on Tonoli Road.Henderson said that Sharps acquired Alpha Bio-Med, which has a headquarters in Paradise, Pennsylvania, in July, and, according to Sharps' investor release on the acquisition, decided to expand its route-based pickup services of medical waste into Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio, as well as launch route-based services in Texas, where Sharps is headquartered.According to the Sharps website, the company "is a leading single source provider of regulatory compliant services for the health care market. We focus our services on small to midsize generators of medical waste, pharmaceutical waste and hazardous waste."David P. Tusa, president and CEO of Sharps Compliance Inc., said the Nesquehoning site is "well located between major interstates and freeways, which works well for our business."We plan to operate a manufacturing and distribution facility, as well as a waste management and recycling operation," Tusa said about the Nesquehoning site. "We look forward to becoming involved in the community as we look to hire employees and engage local suppliers."In July, Tusa said in its investor release on the acquisition of Alpha Bio-Med that the company was looking to add a treatment facility in the northeast to service the company's growing customer base in the region. Henderson then reached out when the company began its search."Kathy and others were very helpful in assessing the site as appropriate for our operations," Tusa said on Wednesday.Henderson said that residents will not notice a significant increase in activity with the new operations because most items will be coming through the United States Postal Service.Disinfecting wasteSharps sells mail-back containers for disposal of items such as syringes and unused medicine, as well as other types of medical waste.At the new Nesquehoning site, Alpha Bio-Med will accept up to 85 tons of regulated medical waste from doctors' offices, dentists, hospitals, schools, veterinarians and nursing homes a day and use a process of steam disinfection to decontaminate the waste.The company will not incinerate or have on-site disposal of the waste once it is steam disinfected. After items are disinfected and shredded, they will be transported to an off-site disposal facility for proper disposal. Pharmaceutical, pathological or chemotherapeutic waste items will not be accepted at the Nesquehoning plant.Before Alpha Bio-Med Services can begin altering the building to meet its needs, it will have to receive DEP permits, as well as receive approval from Nesquehoning borough.DEP community relations coordinator Colleen Connolly said the department's waste management program received an Environmental Assessment for Residual and Municipal Waste Management Facilities request from EarthRes, the consultant for Alpha Bio-Med, asking for information for the location of nearby groundwater and surface water resources within a specified radius."This request involves our Waste Management Program because part of what the company wants to do involves some type of 'waste,' " Connolly said.DEP has already determined that Alpha Bio-Med does not need an air quality permit for the operations.Nesquehoning secretary/treasurer RoniSue Ahner said that the borough has received a zoning application for the proposed business, but a zoning hearing date has not yet been set.Henderson said last month that the company hopes to be in the building by the spring.