Chapter 17 Table of Contents. View the entire chapter in a PDF format. Please use the pdf for printing.

Definitions (Section 4)
 

Accumulation time. The total time from when the first drop of waste begins accumulating in a storage container (or a waste item is first released from a SLAC operation) until the waste is transported off-site to the proper permitted treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facility. Total allowable accumulation time is determined by law and depends primarily on waste type. (See Section 5.1.3.1 “Accumulation Time”).

Area, hazardous waste collection. Designated area used for the storage of hazardous waste. There are four categories of these:

1. Area, hazardous waste storage (HWSA). The centralized hazardous waste storage area located at Building 447, managed and operated by WM, and used for the collection of hazardous wastes collected from waste accumulation areas (WAAs), generic waste collection areas, and satellite waste accumulation areas (SWAAs)
2. Area, waste accumulation (WAA). Area for the storage of hazardous wastes of different types and/or from different generators before transferring to the HWSA. A remote WAA is a waste accumulation area that is sited far enough away from operations to require a documented inspection procedure, as designated by WM.
3. Area, generic waste collection. Area or location for the hazardous waste collection needs of a specific generator. Generic waste collection areas can only be established in coordination with WM.
4. Area, satellite waste accumulation (SWAA). Type of generic waste collection area that allows the storage of smaller quantities of certain hazardous wastes for up to 320 days. A SWAA must be under the direct control of the waste generator.

Corrosivity. Ability of a hazardous waste to react dangerously with another waste, dissolve metal or other materials, or burn the skin. Examples of corrosive waste include waste from rust remover, acid, or alkaline cleaning fluid, and battery acid.

Generator. Individual, group, or department that generates hazardous waste from projects, processes, operations, or activities

Ignitability. The ability of a hazardous waste to cause fires. Examples of ignitable waste include waste from paint, gasoline, diesel fuel, some degreasers, and some other solvents.

Material, hazardous. Any chemical or material that, due to its physical or chemical properties, poses a risk to the health or safety of humans or the environment. Hazardous materials may be in the form of a solid, semi-solid, liquid, or a contained gas.

Person, designated. Person formally selected by line management to fulfill some defined responsibility such as conducting inspections

Reactivity. The ability of a hazardous waste to become unstable or undergo a rapid or violent chemical reaction with water or other materials. Examples of reactive waste include waste from cyanide plating, bleach, and other oxidizers.

Storage. The collection of a hazardous waste in a container or tank

Toxicity. The presence of toxic constituents above established regulatory levels. Examples of toxic constituents include heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, or certain aromatic compounds.

Treatment. Any operation that changes or is designed to change the physical, chemical or biological character of a hazardous waste to remove or reduce its hazardous characteristics

Waste. Any material no longer appropriate for further use. Waste categories include

1. Waste, extremely hazardous. Any hazardous waste or mixture of hazardous wastes that, if human exposure should occur, is likely to result in death, disabling injury, or serious illness due to its carcinogenicity, high acute or chronic toxicity or bio-accumulative properties or persistence in the environment.
2. Waste, hazardous. Any hazardous material that is no longer appropriate for further use and meets the legal definition of a waste per the regulations identified in Section 3, “Standards”. It is a used material with properties that could pose a danger to human health or the environment and no longer qualifies as a material that can be acceptably reused in any SLAC activity or operation. Hazardous wastes are disposed of in a Class I landfill.
3. Waste, industrial. Wastes that exhibit a level of contamination not considered hazardous, but are required by the State of California to be managed for disposal to a permitted Class II landfill. Class II landfills are specially designed to reduce the risks of groundwater contamination from industrial wastes. Also known as California-regulated waste.
4. Waste, mixed. Waste that has both hazardous and radioactive components
5. Waste, non-hazardous or municipal. Waste that qualifies for disposal in a municipal or sanitary (Class III) landfill. Municipal waste is typically generated through day-to-day activities and does not present the hazardous characteristics of hazardous, industrial, or radioactive wastes.
6. Waste, universal. Hazardous waste commonly generated through everyday activities. Examples include batteries and fluorescent tubes, mercury wastes, consumer electronic devices, and cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Less stringent handling rules apply to universal waste if they are disposed through permitted recycling operations.

Note: Any waste generated in radiologically controlled areas must first be released by the Radiation Protection Department (RP) before it can be managed for off-site disposal or recycling.

continue to Requirements, General (5)