Objection to Disposal Practices at Planned Parenthood Clinics in Ohio

New York Times (Dec. 12, 2015): Ohio: Objection to Disposal Practices at Planned Parenthood Clinics, by Tamar Lewin:

An investigation into whether three Planned Parenthood clinics had improperly sold fetal tissue found that they had not, but said that they disposed of aborted fetuses improperly by turning them over to disposal companies that take the remains to landfills, the state attorney general, Mike DeWine, said Friday. Mr. DeWine said that sending aborted fetuses to a landfill was “callous and completely inhumane” and violated a state administrative code requirement that fetuses be disposed of “in a humane manner.” He referred his findings to the Ohio Department of Health, which oversees abortion clinics. Stephanie Kight, the president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, issued a statement calling the accusations “inflammatory and baseless.” She said Planned Parenthood “handles medical tissue like any other quality health care provider. Our agreements with vendors all require them to follow state law, and dispose of tissue accordingly. If they are not, then I will take swift action.” Ms. Kight said she was concerned that the attorney general’s report was “not the result of meaningful investigation, but instead yet another attack on women’s access to health care in the state of Ohio.”