| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.58 |
| Liaison | Margaret Lo |
| Submission Date | July 14, 2022 |
Ball State University
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 0.50 |
Christopher
Mangelli Director Office of Research Integrity Research Integrity |
Does the institution have or participate in a green laboratory program?:
Does the institution’s green laboratory program address the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Energy conservation and efficiency, e.g., fume hood ("shut the sash") and freezer maintenance programs | Yes |
| Water conservation and efficiency | Yes |
| Chemical use and disposal | Yes |
| Materials management, e.g., green purchasing guidelines and recycling and reuse programs | Yes |
| Training for lab users on sustainable practices | No |
A brief description of the institution's green laboratory program:
1. Fume hoods are required to be kept closed to the appropriate level. Fumes hoods are periodically checked and maintained. Freezers are periodically inspected and maintenance is conducted as needed.
2. An evaporator is installed and used for disposal of waste waters from aquatic research that can not be discharged to the public sewerage system due to possible chemical contaminants from the studies. This greatly reduces the amount of wastes being disposed of due to the evaporation of the water component.
Where possible, water saving technologies, such as low-flow fixtures, are installed as items are replaced or areas are renovated.
3. Chemical use and disposal falls under elements of OP-20 (Hazardous Waste Management). The university has a Spill Prevention, Control,and Countermeasure Plan, a Chemical and Biological Spill Prevention and Response Plan, a Laboratory Waste Management Plan and a Laboratory Waste Management Training program. In 2022, BSU is switching over to a new Chemical Management system that provides better inventory control, management, safety, and purchasing controls.
A web-based chemical inventory system, is available for use by all departments, laboratories, trade shops, and building maintenance supervisors. This system is used for the tracking of inventories and determining the locations of chemicals and related products. This system allows for the identification of surplus or unwanted materials.
All chemical waste disposal is managed by the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Office of Risk Management, Insurance and Safety. Hazardous chemicals are not allowed to be disposed of in drains (without EHS and Muncie Sanitary District approval), in the trash, or by evaporation. All chemical wastes are required to be held in the generating location (this location may be either a “Satellite Accumulation Area” or a laboratory) for subsequent pick-up and disposal by EHS and an appropriate waste disposal vendor.
As part of their chemical use and waste disposal program, EHS has a Laboratory Waste Management training available online from their website. This presentation is also periodically provided to departments.
4. Materials management falls under elements of OP-20 (Hazardous Waste Management). Recycling programs have also been instituted for RCRA "Universal Wastes" such as batteries and lamps. These are collected throughout campus and the shops, accumulated in the Central Stores Warehouse, and shipped off-site for recycling by an appropriate environmental services vendor.
Website URL where information about the green laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.