| Overall Rating | Reporter - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Elizabeth Drake |
| Submission Date | April 14, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Swarthmore College
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Ralph
Thayer Director of Maintenance Facilities Management |
Does the institution have strategies in place to safely dispose of all hazardous, 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, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The Environmental Health and Safety Officer works with faculty and staff to support selections of lower-hazard and smaller quantities of chemicals, and reusing materials where safe and practical to do so. Materials and information have been provided to support the safe collection and removal of chemical and other regulated wastes, and the EHSO provides regular training on reducing and safely handling hazardous wastes in a laboratory environment.
In general, the EHSO collects hazardous and other wastes of concern from the academic departments each semester (or more often if needed) and sorts them into appropriate categories pending semi-annual pickup by a licensed handler (currently Tier of Gap, PA). In addition to standard regulated chemical waste (e.g., halogenated and non-halogenated organics, heavy metals, acids and bases), collected materials may include general lab waste, preserved biological specimens, small-spill cleanup, non-returnable/non-empty gas cylinders, and other materials not necessarily regulated as hazardous waste but nonetheless selected for special disposal.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Regulated wastes collected from Facilities activities are removed by special contract (e.g., paint solvents) or included with hazardous materials in the EHS waste accumulation room collected from campus laboratories, workshops and studios.
Universal wastes are collected primarily by the Maintenance department while replacing batteries, bulbs, etc., and also from collection bins accessible to the campus community. The EHSO arranges for U-listed waste to be removed, generally along with the semi-annual chemical pickups by the same handler.
The College has separate arrangements for disposal/removal of regular trash and several classes of recyclable materials.
The website URL where information about hazardous materials management is available:
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.