| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.33 |
| Liaison | Kristin Larson |
| Submission Date | July 31, 2020 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
San Diego State University
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Millie
Tran Biosafety Officer 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:
As far as UW, all the batteries, except Alkaline, collected by EH&S are recycled. Fluorescent lamps are being replaced by LED lamps which are less hazardous. As far as HW, part of our annual training encourages research labs to recycle and reuse their hazardous materials. Also, we encourage them to purchase smaller amounts of hazardous materials so that there is not a large stockpile of chemicals not being used and will end up as being HW.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
All HW, UW, and are packaged and transported by certified contractors to EPA/Cal-EPA approved facilities for disposal.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
"Roofing work to the PSFA Building has caused some vapor odors within and around the building since January 2019. Upon being notified of the odor concern, SDSU’s Environmental Health & Safety office has performed gas and indoor air metering within and outside the building to test for organic vapor levels. Additional testing has been performed and all testing since January has indicated anticipated within-range, low amounts of vapor levels.
However, SDSU is aware that the vapor odor currently being generated from the active roofing project in the PSFA Building has created concern for some of its building occupants. While short-term exposure to the vapors is not toxic, the odor may create an aggravation for some people. Symptoms include irritated nose, throat and mucus membranes, and may also include headaches. Anyone who has been inside or near the PSFA Building and are experiencing these short-term symptoms should seek medical attention as a precautionary measure.
Many occupants have already been moved out of the building in an effort to minimize operational interruptions caused by days where the odors have been strong. SDSU has decided to enact a temporary closure of the building to regular use, which becomes effective on Wednesday, March 13. The building will remain accessible until Thursday, March 14, as the university is relocating all students, faculty and staff who regularly use the building."
Website URL for more information:
- https://urgent.sdsu.edu/psfa-building/faq
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
At present, we have a purchase and inventory program, Chemtracker, to get a handle on the many inventories present on Campus. When the program is fully functional, we can set up a reuse or redistribution system. At present, sharing of chemicals is up to the individual Principal Investigators.
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:
All equipment that a department no longer needs, including computers and other electronics, gets sent to our surplus department. The surplus is then either auctioned or disposed of properly. Electronic waste gets recycled through Tycoon Materials. Students may bring their e-waste to Logistical Services or through Housing.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Electronic waste recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill or incinerator during the most recent year for which data is available during the previous three years:
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.