Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.15
Liaison Paul Scanlon
Submission Date Feb. 29, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Slippery Rock University
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Paul Scanlon
Special Assistant to the President
President's Office/Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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?:
Yes

A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

SRU's Environmental Health and Safety Department conducts annual safety inspections of laboratories and works with departments on minimizing its hazardous waste. SRU has a certified asbestos abatement crew that removes asbestos from campus and ensures that it is handled and disposed of properly. A detailed physical, chemical, and radiological characterization of the coal ash and its leachate from the central heating plant indicates it is not classified as hazardous waste, and is landfilled by a vendor (Waste Management) in accordance with all PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waste Management requirements.


A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

SRU's Environmental Health and Safety Department collects a variety of hazardous wastes as needed/requested by departments on campus and utilizes appropriate, certified hazardous materials recycling companies to properly dispose of the waste. Some items, such as batteries, are collected by EH&S and delivered directly to approved recyclers such as the Battery Warehouse in nearby Butler, PA. SRU asbestos crews remove and oversee the proper handling and disposal of all asbestos containing materials.


A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:

NA


A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:

NA


Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish all electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
Yes

A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s):

SRU gathers university computer and communications-related e-waste first at the IATS (Information and Administrative Technology Services) office to determine if items such as computers and monitors can be reused; if not, it is collected and stored at Central Receiving and periodically picked up by a certified e-waste recycling firm (Maven Technologies, LLC).

In Spring 2014, SRU plans to run a community e-waste day where individuals from the community can recycle their electronics as well. The University then gets paid a small amount per pound for all waste recycled by Maven Technologies LLC, making it a win-win situation for both the university and community.


A brief description of steps taken to ensure that e-waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met:

SRU's Environmental Health and Safety Office ensures that all waste is contained and stored safely on campus prior to disposal by following both Maven Technologies and EPA’s e-waste guidelines.


The website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous and electronic-waste recycling programs is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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