Updated July 2021 Landfills are a tool used to handle the disposal of different types of waste in any industrialized society and regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When handling hazardous waste, the EPA encourages source reduction instead of landfills. However, the reality of industrial societies means that the generation of hazardous
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The Most Environmentally Friendly Cities in the U.S.
Across the country, citizens are making more concentrated efforts to make their lifestyles more environmentally friendly. In fact, many of us take part in environmentally friendly activities every day, whether we know it or not: getting rid of junk mail, washing clothes in cold water, and choosing reusable water bottles or straws all play a
... Continue ReadingWhen Excess Hazardous Waste Contributes to Large Volume Designations: Managing Episodic Events
Producers of hazardous waste are broken down into three categories of waste generator status. We broke down these categories and their stipulations to define what constitutes a small quantity vs large quantity generator in a recent article. While the different categories are clear, the higher hazardous waste producers have a much higher level of compliance
... Continue ReadingORM-D Classification for Consumer Commodities Expires on January 1, 2021
On January 19, 2011, PHMSA of the US Department of Transportation (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) concluded five years of effort and issued an ever-evolving standard on Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR) in accordance with the United Nations Recommendations. On January 7, 2013, the PHMSA extended this authorization for the use of ORM-D classifications on
... Continue Reading4 Characteristics of Hazardous Waste for Completing Your Waste Profile
The EPA requires all hazardous waste producers to fill out an important form called a Hazardous Waste Profile. Formally known as the Waste Characterization Profile, the Hazardous Waste Profile requires a list of all chemical properties associated with the waste produced. This form must be completed before waste is disposed of or transported. The Hazardous
... Continue ReadingClean Up Your Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest Forms or Risk Fines
Hazardous Waste Generators regardless of generator status are breathing a sigh of relief that 2023 is not a reporting year for submitting the Biennial Hazardous Waste Report. However, it’s always an excellent time to check that you’re using the best reporting practices possible. Federal regulations require generators and transporters of hazardous waste and owners or
... Continue ReadingSmall Quantity vs Large Quantity: What are the designations?
When it comes to hazardous materials handling, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) has outlined three types of generators. Hazardous waste generators produce waste in three categories that are determined by the amount of waste generated per calendar month. There are three categories of generators and three very frequently used acronyms: VSQG: Very small quantity
... Continue ReadingFDA Recalls Hand Sanitizers with Methanol
August 2020 At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, hand sanitizer was in short supply. To encourage productions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) altered their regulations to make it possible for companies such as alcohol distillers to shift production to hand sanitizer. It’s estimated that over 700 companies began producing hand sanitizer to respond
... Continue ReadingTop 6 Things to Know About Episodic Hazardous Waste Generation
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an episodic event as an activity that does not normally occur during a generator’s operations. The event causes a hazardous waste generator to exceed the upper limit of its normal generator category for that month. This often affects Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) or Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQGs) negatively,
... Continue Reading5 Best Practices for Handling Hazardous Materials Safely
Hazardous materials handling requires special care, not only to keep your employees safe but also to adhere to regulations that affect the handling of these materials. It’s always a great time to brush up on best practices for hazardous materials handling. We’ve put together a list of five necessary best practices for material handling. Understand
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