James Madison University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

JMU continuously monitors hazardous waste streams to look for opportunities to reduce waste. Recent minimization steps taken include reworking all the General Chemistry labs to nearly eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals. Another mechanism used is leveraging the partnerships with our hazardous waste contractors to determine if a particular waste can go for fuel blending or recycling instead of disposal.

Hazardous waste is accumulated in designated “hazardous waste accumulation areas” where it is labeled “hazardous waste”; the contents and the hazards associated with the contents is dated with a container number and placed on an inventory. These accumulation areas are inspected weekly to ensure that all labeling is present and that containers are intact and not leaking. Inventories are then provided to the hazardous waste contractor approximately 15 days before the scheduled pick-up to give the contractor time to determine appropriate destinations for all the waste streams and to get disposal-site approvals. When the contractor comes to campus to take the hazardous waste, a staff member escorts the contractor to all the accumulation areas where the waste is packaged according to regulatory requirements. All manifest and package list paperwork is generated and signed. A truck removes the waste. After 30 days, a staff member ensures that all final signed manifests have been received. Universal waste such as bulbs, batteries, and spent aerosol cans are labeled as “universal waste” and dated. Personnel at JMU ensure that the waste is removed from campus within 365 days by a licensed waste contractor. Non-regulated chemical waste is also handled by a licensed waste contractor to ensure cradle-to-grave tracking.

No significant hazardous material releases have occurred within the past three years. Each year, though, the JMU HazMat team will respond to a handful of incidents involving fluid leaks from vehicles but none have required outside support beyond JMU's HazMat team. If a release occurs beyond an incidental spill, the JMU police department would call the Harrisonburg Fire Department to have their HazMat team respond.

JMU uses Vertere Chemical Management System in the academic buildings. When chemicals arrive to campus, all are barcoded and entered into Vertere. The laboratory buildings undergo an annual physical inventory where all the barcoded chemicals are scanned and reconciled with what the electronic inventory in Vertere indicates are present. With this system, users are able to search for a chemical's location within their department's control to preserve security and safety as JMU is not equipped to transport chemicals over the road. In certain circumstances the chemical inventory administrator can search the entire inventory system and, if feasible, is able to walk a chemical to a nearby building to be used, if pedestrian transport is viable and sufficient containment equipment is available.

For institutional property, JMU has a Surplus Property program that first offers working electronic equipment to other departments on campus. If equipment is not able to be reused internally, Surplus Property Staff will offer the equipment to other state agencies free of charge. Remaining equipment is then offered for sale to localities and approved non-profits before it is offered for sale to the general public online through Govdeals.com. Surplus computer equipment that is working and meets IT standards is reissued to departments on campus for reutilization. Donations of working computer equipment that does not meet IT standards for reutilization but is not obsolete are occasionally made to other state agencies or non-profits. Nonworking and obsolete computer equipment is sent for data destruction and recycling to Powerhouse Recycling, which is e-Steward and R2 certified and contracted by DGS Surplus Property for these services for the Commonwealth. Lastly, if the equipment is non-functional or does not sell, items will then be recycled through recyclers certified under e-Stewards and/or R2 standards, which FM Recycling utilizes.

For electronic waste generated by students, the Office of Residence Life has two programs in place to reuse/recycle e-waste: 1) "Why Wait? Donate!" is a program during move-out where electronics are collected and donated to charities with reuse in mind. 2) Special bins are placed in most residence halls to collect small electronic waste. For larger items, signage and brochures provide contact information on how to have the Recycling Department collect and recycle these items, all of which will be recycled by a recycler certified under e-Stewards and/or R2 standards.

Part 1 provided by Marcella Mullenax, Environmental Health, Coordinator, Feb 12, 2024. Part 2 reviewed and edited by Holmes Browne and Jennifer Steele. Entered by CJ Hartman ISNW, Feb 13, 2024.