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| Introduction
Chemical waste at Binghamton University is generally defined as any unwanted chemical, residual, or unusable by-product from any process, service operation, classroom activity or laboratory where chemical substances are used. Activities include, but are not limited to: classroom and research laboratories, maintenance functions, physical facilities operations, printing facilities, photographic chemicals from darkrooms, and miscellaneous chemicals from art departments.
Chemical waste that is declared a hazardous waste (HW) must be disposed of in accordance with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) regulations (Ref: 6 NYCRR Part 370 series) and Federal Regulations (40CFR). Binghamton University is identified by NYSDEC as a HW generator facility and has been issued an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous waste generator ID number. This designation prohibits the following activities by Binghamton University: 1. In-house disposal of any HW; 2. In-house treatment of HW (other than elementary neutralization); and 3.
Storage of HW beyond the limitations stated in current Part 370
series regulations.
Off-site
transportation and disposal of HW must be provided by approved companies
licensed by the EPA.
A
program of waste minimization is supported. Practices include:
buying only the volume of chemicals necessary to complete the
intended task (buying in bulk is considerably more expensive when the
cost of disposal is factored in), properly storing and disposing of
unwanted chemicals in a timely manner to prevent chemical containers
from degrading, substituting non-hazardous or less hazardous chemicals
for hazardous ones, using recycled chemicals when possible, elementary
neutralizations of acids and bases in the laboratory, and investigating
micro-scale activities. When
wastes are declared as hazardous wastes, primary methods of disposal
focus on reclamation, destruction and/or treatment, thereby minimizing
the overall impact to the environment.
Objectives The objectives of the chemical waste management program (CWM Program) are to: 1. provide an effective method for removing unwanted chemicals from campus locations; 2. minimize the volume of chemical waste generated on campus using a variety of methods; and
Responsibilities
The
majority of chemical waste generated at Binghamton University is declared
hazardous waste. In light of
the complexity of and frequent changes that occur in applicable NYSDEC
regulations, chemical waste management activities must be limited to
a single office. Environmental
Health and Safety (EH&S) administers the CWM Program and is responsible
for ensuring compliance with standard operating procedures, supervising
the transport and storage of waste chemicals, record keeping for all
waste chemicals accepted by the program, and contracting for disposal
of all hazardous waste generated by Binghamton University.
Any
and all persons generating a chemical waste have a moral and legal obligation
to certify that their waste has been properly disposed.
Improper disposal can result in injury to human health and the
environment and may be punishable by a prison sentence, a monetary fine,
or both.
Individuals
that generate chemical waste are responsible for following established
collection and storage procedures. The policy for collection and storage
procedures for chemicals can be found in the Binghamton University Hazardous
Waste Management Guide (available on-line at https://ehs.binghamton.edu).
Although every effort will be made by EH&S to assist individuals
in complying with these procedures, the generator must:
1.
Read the Binghamton University Hazardous Waste Management
Guide and follow the procedures outlined
2.
Properly label all chemical containers with all known or suspected chemical
constituents and their approximate concentrations. The chemical name
must be written out. Chemical
structures, formulas, or abbreviations are not acceptable. Unknown
chemicals cannot be accepted by the CWM Program.
EH&S will assist generators in identifying methods and/or
private laboratories that will identify unknown chemicals
3.
Segregate and store chemicals in compatibility classes such as
acids, bases, flammables, oxidizers, poisons, etc.
Procedures
Chemical
waste pick up schedule can be seen on our website at http://ehs.binghamton.edu.
Generators need to call 7-6835 or 7-5799 or send an e-mail to hazwaste@binghamton.edu
to place a request for disposal. Requests for disposal need to be made
before the scheduled pick up day. When
calling or e-mailing a request for disposal, the following information
must be included:
-name -phone number -building and room number -type and amount of waste to be picked up (# of bottles) -location
of the waste
Generators
need not be present when the waste is picked up. All waste must be properly
labeled and tagged. The waste will be picked up at the lab or room on
the scheduled day. A list of the scheduled pick up dates is available
by contacting the Hazardous Waste Manager at 7-5799 or on the EHS website
at http://ehs.binghamton.edu.
More
detailed information can be found in the Binghamton University Hazardous
Waste Management Guide. Copies of the guide can be obtained
by contacting the Hazardous Waste Manager at 7-5799.
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