HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT�REFRESHER TRAINING

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Environmental, Health, Safety, and Risk Management

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2022

Course Outline

• Overview of hazardous materials regulations
• Hazardous waste at UAF
• What is hazardous waste?
• Wastes in YOUR lab
• Points to Remember
• Emergency response

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Regulations

3 Primary Regulatory Agencies oversee handling of Hazardous Waste:

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• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR). Properly package, identify, label hazardous materials/wastes for transportation
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Title 29 (29 CFR). Protect workers from the effects of hazardous materials in the workplace
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Title 40 (40 CFR). Protect our environment
• PLUS The International Fire and Building Codes also regulate hazardous materials

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EPA Regulations: RCRA

The (EPA) regulates hazardous waste in Alaska by authority of the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA). Requirements include:

• Identification of hazardous wastes
• Tracking wastes from “cradle to grave”
• Setting standards for generators of wastes, transporters of wastes, and Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facilities

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Training for personnel who use chemicals is an Annual requirement:

• Understand how to identify hazardous wastes
• Understand how to package and label hazardous wastes
• Understand how to have their hazardous materials disposed
• Know how to respond effectively to emergencies

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RCRA Requirements

RCRA requires that you:

• Receive training (annually)
• Identify and classify your wastes at the site of generation (i.e., in your lab)
• Label containers with a description of their contents
• Store only the permissible volume of waste in your lab
• Ensure lids and caps are securely fastened at all times
• Ensure all materials are properly segregated
• Use containers that are compatible with your waste
• Use intact containers (no cracks, holes, etc.)
• Ensure that spills and overfills do not occur
• Ensure that mismanagement does not occur

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UAF Hazardous Waste Management

• EHSRM assists UAF waste generators with waste disposal needs
• Hazardous Materials Facility (HMF) stores waste and serves as UAF’s Central Accumulation Area (CAA)
• RCRA-regulated hazardous wastes are shipped
• Every 90 days from the HMF
• By EPA-permitted transporters to EPA-permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
• Annual costs: $150,000 for disposal; $400,000 total cost of hazmat program at UAF

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WHAT IS HAZARDOUS WASTE?

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Categories of waste

• RCRA-regulated
• Non-regulated, but still considered hazardous by UAF and/or Golden Heart Utilities
• Non-hazardous

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• Our goal is to:
• Comply with RCRA and other waste disposal requirements
• Avoid unnecessary expenses associated with picking up non-hazardous and non-regulated wastes

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Is your waste a hazardous waste?

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• EPA regulations (40 CFR 261.2) require that a hazardous waste determination be made at the point of waste generation
• This means that it has to be made by the person(s) generating the waste at their lab, shop, or studio.
• Whenever you have any questions, please contact your department CHO or EHSRM at 907-474-5617

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Categories of waste

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RCRA identifies three main kinds of wastes:

• Listed wastes
• generally toxins—are specifically mentioned by name
• P list, U list. (F and K lists not typical in labs)
• Characteristic wastes
• classified by their chemical properties—flammable, corrosive, etc
• what hazardous characteristics do they have?
• Universal wastes
• Batteries, light bulbs

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Listed Wastes

• F- and K-listed wastes are not usually found in labs
• U-listed wastes are toxic wastes. Some commonly found in UAF labs:

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Listed Wastes con’t.

• P-listed wastes are acutely toxic wastes. Some commonly found in UAF labs:

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Characteristic Wastes

• Some wastes are hazardous due to their chemical properties. These are “Characteristic” wastes:
• Ignitable wastes can burn, are spontaneously combustible, or have a flash point of less than 60ºC
• Corrosive wastes are strong acids or strong bases; or can corrode metal containers
• Reactive wastes are unstable under “normal” lab conditions
• Toxic wastes are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed

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40 CFR 261 has the technical definitions of “solid wastes” and hazardous wastes

Universal Wastes

• Include the following materials that are commonly found in the workplace
• Batteries
• Used Battery buckets are located around campus
• Lithium batteries (computer batteries, etc) please contact your CHO or EHSRM
• Fluorescent lamps
• EHSRM can provide lamp collection boxes
• Pesticides
• Thermometers (containing mercury)
• Call EHSRM

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Examples of hazardous and non-hazardous solid wastes

HAZARDOUS

• Pipet tips that were used for toxic compounds (i.e., arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium), etc.
• Microfuge tubes that formerly contained solutions of arsenic, mercuric chloride, cadmium solutions, etc.

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NON-HAZARDOUS

• Pipet tips that were used for ethanol, chloroform, acetone, etc.
• Microfuge tubes that formerly contained ethanol, acetone, etc.
• Empty containers of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals, except those that contained P-listed chemicals

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Handling of non-hazardous wastes

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• Throw used pipet tips and microfuge tubes in the regular trash.
• Triple-rinse empty containers and drain the rinse water down the sink. Write “empty” on the container and throw it away… or use to collect truly hazardous wastes (after labeling properly)
• Tripe-rinse and air dry glass bottles. Remove the label or cover over it. Put on a new label and use it to collect truly hazardous waste solutions.
• Mildly acidic solutions with no other hazard: carefully add baking soda to neutralize. Check the pH and put down the sink if the pH is between 6 and 8.

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Segregation and handling of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes

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NON-HAZARDOUS

• Discard in the regular trash or down the sink.
• Please DO NOT request a waste pickup of these items.

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HAZARDOUS

• Collect in a suitable, labeled container with a closed lid, or in a labeled bag (for solid wastes).
• When the container is full or you no longer generate the waste, go online and make a waste pickup request.

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Other Common Wastes

• Aerosol cans
• Do not throw these in trash—may contain small amounts of hazardous contents or propellant.
• Most aerosol cans, regardless of contents, can never be completely emptied of propellant
• Fill out Haz Mat pickup request and EHSRM will dispose of as necessary
• Used/Waste oil
• If possible, keep used vacuum pump oil, motor oil separate from other wastes
• Label “Used Oil,” with start and end dates, and keep securely closed when not adding to the container
• A funnel is not a lid
• Use secondary containment
• Fill out Haz Mat pickup request for disposal

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So, is your waste hazardous waste?

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• Does it have hazardous characteristics?
• Flammable/ignitable? YES!
• Corrosive? YES!
• Toxic? YES!
• Used ethanol or acetone from washing glassware? YES! (it’s flammable…)
• Used acid bath? YES! (it’s corrosive…)
• Is it on the U list or P list? Is it a Universal waste? YES!
• Is it soapy water that you used to wash your hands? NO
• Unless your hands were covered in a toxic material or P-List, then maybe
• Latex paint? Darkroom chemicals? Used antifreeze? YES!
• Sharps? We have a whole training on Sharps. www.uaf.edu/safety
• Not sure? CALL EHSRM! Or talk to your department CHO

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WASTE IN YOUR LAB

What do I do with my wastes and unwanted chemicals?

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Satellite Accumulation Areas (SAA)

• Each lab that generates waste is referred to as a Satellite Accumulation Area
• This should be within the lab “under the control of the operator of the process generating the waste”
• Do not carry waste throughout a building to a centralized area
• You should inspect your SAA regularly (weekly)
• SAA has storage limits:
• Up to 55 gallons of non-acute hazardous waste (although this may violate Fire and Building codes….)
• Up to 1 quart (liquid) or 1 kg (solid) of an acute hazardous waste (P-listed waste)
• Use the online Hazardous Materials Pickup website to have your hazardous wastes removed

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EHSRM will remove the waste from your SAA, and transfer it to the UAF Hazmat Facility Central Accumulation Area for routine removal (a haz waste contractor arrives every 90 days to dispose of wastes from UAF)

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SAA Container Management

• Waste Container should be compatible with waste contents
• Container has a securely fitting lid
• Container holding hazardous waste must be closed at all times during accumulation, except:
• when adding, removing, or consolidating waste; or
• when temporary venting of a container is necessary
• for the proper operation of equipment, or
• to prevent dangerous situations, such as build-up of extreme pressure.
• A funnel is NOT A LID!
• Labels (continues on next page)
• Log sheet? (continues…)

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SAA container Management (cont.)

A generator must mark or label a container holding hazardous waste with the following:

• The words “Hazardous Waste”
• The full name and concentration of the contents
• No chemical structures,
• Limit abbreviations
• Start Date
• End Date (when you finish adding to the waste container)
• A description of the hazard(s) of the contents
• Ex: corrosive, reactive, toxic, flammable
• Hazard statement or pictogram may also be used

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SAA container Management (cont.)

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Do you need a log sheet?

• For adding many different things to a container
• Useful for academic lab courses
• Be sure the wastes you are adding are all compatible (with each other, with the container)
• On waste container, write “Log Sheet attached” or “See Log Sheet” (as well as “Waste,” Start date, hazards, etc)
• Record start/end date on Log Sheet
• Record contents, concentrations, amounts
• Log sheet should be located very near the waste container
• Ensure log sheet and waste container are easy to match up

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Examples of log sheets

What to do with Empty Containers

• Did that container hold non-hazardous materials?
• Cross off the Name of the compound, write “Empty” on the bottle, and dispose of the bottle in the trash OR save the empty bottle to use as a waste container
• Did that container hold hazardous materials?
• Cross off the Name of the compound, write “Empty” on the bottle
• Cross off any hazard/warning words or symbols
• Rinse the container with an appropriate solvent (water, alcohol, other) three times to triple-rinse, and collect the waste
• Dispose of the bottle in the trash OR save to use as a waste container
• Is that substance on the P-list? Ex sodium azide, cyanides
• The empty container MUST be collected as waste. Cross off the Name of the compound, write “Empty” on the bottle
• Add “empty bottle of ___” to your Haz Mat Pickup request

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To Make a Waste Removal Request

• Go to the EHSRM website, and follow the link to “Hazardous Materials Pickup”

http://www.uaf.edu/safety/

• If you have not been trained in the use of the online request, call 907-474-5617 to schedule a training session. Or go to the EHSRM website for more information:

http://www.uaf.edu/safety/

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Remember: There is no charge to your lab for chemical waste disposal

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Remember the 5 L’s of Waste Management

Waste Containers:

• Location. Must be at or near the point of generation
• Label. Must be clearly labeled as Hazardous Wastes, with contents and hazard class(es) listed
• Lid. Must have secure lid and must remain closed except when adding to container (a funnel is not a lid)
• Limits. Amounts accumulated must be below federal and state limits.
• Look at your satellite accumulation area frequently to make sure containers are in good shape, monitor leaks, and contain spills

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EMERGENCY RESPONSE

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Spills of Hazardous Chemicals

Report all spills of hazardous chemicals to UAF EHSRM Hazmat (907-474-5617 or 907-474-6771)

• You may be able to clean small spills
• Large spills—contact EHSRM
• Call 911 if there is an immediate threat of harm to life or property

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If you have not been trained and/or do not have the appropriate personnel protective equipment, please call for assistance!

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For More Information…

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Talk to your department CHO

OR

Environmental, Health, Safety, and Risk Management

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Visit our website at: www.uaf.edu/safety

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Or call us at 907-474-5413

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