| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.66 |
| Liaison | Amber Saxton |
| Submission Date | Feb. 22, 2024 |
George Mason University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Dave
Farris Executive Director, Safety and Emergency Management Environmental Health and Safety |
Does the institution have strategies in place to safely dispose of all hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste and seek to minimize the presence of these materials on campus?:
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Mason actively seeks to reduce its use of hazardous materials when possible and in turn reduce the amount of hazardous waste. During Laboratory Safety Orientation Training administered by the Environmental Health and Safety Department (EHS) to students, faculty, and staff, waste minimization is encouraged in laboratories. Mason is also looking at ways of redirecting non-hazardous waste from landfills to further reduce its impact on the local environment. In addition to laboratory safety trainings, Hazardous and Regulated Waste is now a stand alone course offered online which is expected to reach a larger audience, improve training compliance, and promote safe and appropriate waste disposal throughout campus.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Mason ensures personnel who manage hazardous waste have been trained on an annual basis. EHS collects hazardous waste from the university’s laboratories and Facilities shops, and segregates waste according to hazard class. As needed the waste is be picked up for transport and sent to the appropriate treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facility by a commercial hazardous/solid waste contractor in accordance with EPA and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Regulations. Mason is subject to routine inspections by the DEQ to ensure compliance with hazardous and solid waste regulations.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
Mason has had no significant release of hazardous materials into the environment within the past three years.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
EHS works with laboratory faculty and staff to identify unused chemicals that could be used by another instructor or research team. When these chemicals are identified, EHS sends an email to the appropriate Lab Safety Liaisons to notify them of the type and amount of chemical available. Unless a researcher or instructor has requested that EHS flag a particular chemical for them, the unused chemicals are available on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Once the chemicals have been tagged for the appropriate researcher(s), EHS arranges for the researcher to retrieve, deliver, and transport the chemical(s) to the recipient laboratory. Mason's Hazard Communication Training encourages the elimination, substitution, or minimization of hazardous chemicals and substances to further reduce waste.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s), including information about how electronic waste generated by the institution and/or students is recycled:
George Mason University (Mason) has a program to recycle rechargeable batteries, printer cartridges, and cell phones. For surplus computers and electronic equipment, these are collected by Mason's surplus program for reuse by other departments within the university or are auctioned off if there are no interested parties.
It is specifically tailored to student involvement with special year-round e-waste receptacles in student centers (The Hub and the Johnson Center) and Mason holds special programming and engagement, as well as hosts special collection sites during student move out in residence halls to capture e-waste and equipment that would otherwise be thrown away.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste 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.