University of Massachusetts Lowell
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

The UMass Lowell Environmental Health and Safety Department coordinates health and safety programs for UMass Lowell students, faculty members and employees to ensure that safe and effective policies and procedures are followed. The department features a robust and rigorous hazardous and universal waste management program to mitigate and respond to accidents and emergencies within the scope of biological, chemical, radiation, environmental, and fire safety. In addition, the Environmental Health and Safety Department offers a number of trainings to students, faculty, and staff including lab safety training, silica hazard awareness training, laser safety training. radiation safety training, bloodborne pathogen/biosafety training, hazardous waste management training, and fire extinguisher training.

https://www.uml.edu/EEM/EHS/policies-procedures.aspx

UMass Lowell closely monitors the shipping, receiving, and disposal of all hazardous materials, universal waste, and non-regulated chemicals to comply with MassDEP and US EPA regulations. UMass Lowell coordinates with certified vendors and consultants to properly handle, decontaminate, and dispose of materials. Triumvirate Environmental assists with environmental operations and conducts weekly inspections of satellite accumulation areas.

No, there were not any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years. UMass Lowell's emergency management division employs highly trained staff members to be a part of the emergency response task force who are available 24/7 in case of emergency. The emergency task force is responsible for providing immediate response to hazardous material spills in addition to fires, power loss, suspicious or violent acts, bomb threats, and severe weather.

https://www.uml.edu/EEM/Emergency-Management/Emergency-response.aspx

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Department operates a Hazardous Materials Chemical Receiving Stockroom for all laboratory chemicals on campus. Faculty and staff use a requisition and purchase order Software called Buyways for ordering all chemicals. EHS staff review and approval these requests. Upon approval a purchase order is created and dispatched to the chemical distributor. Materials are shipped to the Hazardous Materials Chemical Receiving Stockroom and received by EHS staff. EHS staff collect information and enter it into an on-line database called Vertere. Each material is assigned a bar code and tag. The materials are then delivered to the labs by EHS staff.

During the process of reviewing faculty and staff chemical requisitions our EHS staff cross references the Vertere on-line chemical inventory to promote re-use of unwanted or excess chemicals on campus. EHS also acquires chemicals during lab clean-outs. These materials are offered for re-use during the review of chemical requisitions when someone is trying to purchase a material that is on hand.

UMass Lowell features collection bins throughout university for cell phone & handheld devices, small electronics, and batteries. The collection bins are made of 100% recycled material and are monitored and maintained regularly. UMass Lowell student sustainability Eco Reps pick up mixed electronics including decommissioned lab equipment and computer accessories upon request. All mixed electronics are recycled through UMass Lowell's approved and certified electronic waste recycler: PC Survivors of Massachusetts.

UMass Lowell Chemical Waste Programs:
http://www.uml.edu/EEM/EHS/Waste-Disposal-Programs/default.aspx

PC Survivors of Massachusetts Certifications:
https://www.pcsmass.com/quality-environmental-health-safety-policy/