University of Kansas
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

The University of Kansas has adopted hazardous materials waste management procedures for the proper management of hazardous materials generated by the University as an integral part of the University’s Environmental Health & Safety Management Program. University policy requires that all materials being used by a laboratory or laboratory-related unit to be disposed in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Waste Management Program. Users shall keep the generation of hazardous materials at a level “as low as reasonably achievable”, minimize the proportion of unavoidable hazardous materials waste, recycle or reclaim hazardous materials either in the lab or through the services of Environmental Health & Safety, segregate hazardous materials waste streams to make further management activities more feasible and economical, and where allowed by EHS and regulations, treat waste to reduce the volume and degree of hazard. All faculty, staff, and students are required to be aware of their responsibilities identified in the manual. Failure to comply is disciplinable; regulatory non-compliance may be a violation of State and/or Federal Laws; a department or school of the University shall be held liable by the Provost Office for any fee or penalty imposed by a regulatory agency upon the campus for improper storage, labeling or disposal of hazardous waste to the extent that the fee or penalty imposed arises out of the activities of the department or school.

Users are required to collect all hazardous material wastes and residues per established procedures and contact the Department of Environmental Health & Safety to have the materials removed. EHS then disposes of hazardous wastes through a contracted, 3rd party, permitted TSDF. Users are prohibited from placing empty “potentially contaminated” hazardous materials containers into normal trash baskets, placing “Sharps” into normal trash receptacles unless packaged according to the requirements, and disposing of classified materials into the sanitary sewer system. Special disposal is required for any materials which meet the definition of a hazardous chemical as defined in the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), any materials which exhibit the characteristics of hazardous waste as identified in 40 CFR 261 Subpart C or are listed as hazardous waste in 40 CFR 261 Subpart D under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, any materials meeting the definition of a biohazard, any materials meeting the definition of a radioactive material, any materials meeting the definition of Laser/Associated Waste or any other materials which are believed by the User/Supervisor to pose some danger to human health, safety, or the environment.