States are trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. AP News

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With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into the 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.

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