| Policy Title | Chemical Waste Management and Disposal |
|---|---|
| Responsible Office | Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) |
| Policy Type | Environmental Health |
| Policy Number | 1002 |
| Last Revision Date | 10/25/2023 |
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 3D 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:
- In-house disposal of any HW;
- In-house treatment of HW and
- 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: purchasing 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 hazardous chemicals for non-hazardous or less hazardous ones, using recycled chemicals when possible, 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:
- provide an effective method for removing unwanted chemicals from campus locations;
- minimize the volume of chemical waste generated on campus using a variety of methods; and
- temporarily store and arrange off-site transportation and disposal of all declared hazardous waste in accordance with current NYSDEC regulations.
Responsibilities
The majority of chemical waste generated at Binghamton University is declared hazardous waste. In light of the complexity 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 imprisonment, monetary fines, 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. Although every effort will be made by EH&S to assist individuals in complying with these procedures, the generator must:
- Read the Binghamton University Hazardous Waste Management Guide and follow the procedures outlined.
- 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.
- Segregate and store chemicals according to their hazard class such as acids, bases, flammables, oxidizers, poisons, etc.
- Properly tag all waste chemicals with a Hazardous Chemical Waste Tag andÂ
- Properly package and containerize waste chemicals for transport.
Procedures
The chemical waste pick up schedule can be viewed on the EHS website. Generators can request a waste pickup with the online request form or by sending an e-mail to hazwaste@binghamton.edu.
Requests for disposal need to be made before the scheduled pick up day. The following information is required when submitting a waste pickup request.
- name
- phone number
- building and room number
- type and amount of waste to be picked up (# of bottles)
- location of the waste
All waste must be properly labeled and tagged as outlined in the Binghamton University Hazardous Waste Management Guide. All labels must be signed. The waste will be picked up at the lab or room on the scheduled waste pick-up day. It is not required for generators to be present at the time of pick-up
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 Program Manager at 607-777-2211.
All radioactive wastes are handled by radiation safety. Contact the Radiation Safety Officer at 607-777-2211. Regulated medical waste is handled in accordance with Management Procedure No. 1010 or contact Bio-Safety Officer at 607-777-2211.
