Officials at RiverStone Health said Wednesday they have approved of the disposal of pills and marijuana for years at the Billings Animal Control incinerator but were unaware that methamphetamine was burned there last week.

RELATED — Meth incineration mishap sickens animal shelter employees in Billings

The agency, which is Yellowstone County's public-health department, released its statement from CEO and county Health Officer Jonathan Forte a week after 14 staff members at Yellowstone Valley Animal Services were sickened after a malfunction pushed the meth fumes into the shelter.

RiverStone acts as a liaison between the city and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and works in a regulatory role to ensure that protocols are followed.

"RiverStone Health’s regulatory role in

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