States trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire
ABC News
Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away
When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.
Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.
With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.
A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.
An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers.
