San Diego State University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

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.

All HW, UW, and are packaged and transported by certified contractors to EPA/Cal-EPA approved facilities for disposal.

"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

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.

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.