Large institutional and commercial facilities tend to get most of the attention when it comes to compliance with environmental regulations, such as hazard materials management. The focus is understandable given the amounts of materials these facilities generate. But even relatively small facilities might generate more hazardous waste than facility managers are aware of.
To address the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging facility managers in businesses, schools and other smaller facilities to double-check the way their departments handle hazardous waste to avoid costly violations.
In recent years, EPA Region 2 has found that many facilities unknowingly violate federal hazardous waste rules. These mistakes often stem from confusion about how much hazardous waste a facility generates and what that means for compliance.
To address the issue, EPA has worked with dozens of facilities through expedited settlement agreements, which are designed to help businesses fix the problem quickly and return to compliance with minimal penalty. The rules apply to any facility that generates hazardous waste, including: used paints, solvents and thinners; expired lab or cleaning chemicals; disinfectants and sterilants; and waste from auto work, art programs or healthcare services.
When a facility generates more than 220 pounds of hazardous waste in a month, it must notify EPA and comply with additional handling and shipping regulations. Many facilities — such as auto shops, dental and medical clinics, printers, schools and laboratories — might unknowingly exceed this threshold. Even facilities that generate less than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste per month are subject to specific requirements.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
