| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.50 |
| Liaison | Cora Kenfield |
| Submission Date | July 22, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Vassar College
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
James
Kelly Director of Environmental Health and Safety Buidings and Grounds Services |
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?:
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
As required by New York State law, Vassar College regulates and safely disposes its hazardous waste. The College seeks to minimize the presence of hazardous materials, on campus especially in chemistry and biology laboratories.
The waste management plan covers all aspects of hazardous material use including: Minimization of waste, proper storage and handling of waste, and proper disposal of waste. The plan also designates chemical hygiene officers in each department to act as liaisons with the Environmental Health and Safety officer.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Materials collected at designated central locations in buildings that use chemicals are removed and disposed of by contractor.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
None released.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
Vassar uses the Vertere chemical inventory system. All chemicals that are purchased in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Earth Science, and the Field Station should be entered into the system upon arrival at Vassar. The chemicals are all inventoried once per year.
Through this system, one is able to check and see if a chemical is available in any of these locations. Anyone in any department can get access to this inventory online at the web interface for Vertere, or they can contact a department technician to find a chemical for them on campus.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish all electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s):
Apple program for computer exchange.
A brief description of steps taken to ensure that e-waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met:
The college has a computer exchange deal with Apple computers. Most other e-waste can be brought to the Computer Information Center for recycling or reuse. All reusable batteries are disposed of through a third-party recycling program in drop boxes located around campus.
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:
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.