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

Requirements:
General (5.1)

Requirements for waste are based on type (hazardous, industrial, or universal) and amount. Under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), SLAC is an authorized large quantity hazardous waste generator and is allowed the corresponding quantities and time limits for on site storage of these wastes. SLAC is not a permitted TSD facility, since such facilities require extensive permitting.

Note: Although not a TSD facility, SLAC is authorized by the state of California to perform limited hazardous waste treatment under the California Tiered Permit Program, which allows treatment of permit-specified hazardous waste streams.

Wastes at SLAC are collected and stored according to requirements and then transported off-site for treatment and disposal.

Determination (5.1.1)

Generators of hazardous wastes must monitor their use of materials and determine when the material may be hazardous and has, in fact, become a waste and cannot be reused. Once a material has been determined to be both hazardous and a waste, it must be collected and stored according to specific requirements.

Note: Hazardous waste includes, in addition to hazardous chemicals, many common hazardous and universal waste items such as oil, oil filters, spent consumer and vehicle batteries that are managed through Fleet Services, and used electronic equipment that is managed through the Salvage Group.

Equipment (5.1.2)

Containers (5.1.2.1)

Appropriate containers and secondary containment must be used for hazardous waste. WM will provide appropriate containers, with labels, upon request. (See Chapter 40, "Hazardous Materials", and Hazardous Waste: Hazardous Waste Management Requirements [pdf].)

Labels (5.1.2.2)

All hazardous wastes containers must be properly labeled (see Hazardous Waste: Hazardous Waste Management Requirements [pdf]). Generators using their own containers must label them according to these requirements and notify WM within one working day. WM will subsequently deliver an official waste label and begin tracking the accumulation time. All containers must in the end be labeled by WM.

Storage (5.1.3)

Hazardous wastes must be tracked, stored in designated hazardous waste collection areas, segregated, inspected, and removed from the collection areas according to the requirements of this chapter.

Accumulation Time (5.1.3.1)

The maximum allowable accumulation time is determined by law, and depends primarily on the type of hazardous waste.

The total accumulation time applies to the entire accumulation period, which begins when the first drop of waste enters a storage container (or when a waste item is released from a SLAC operation) until it is transported off-site to a permitted TSD facility. WM must manage the following waste types within these maximum allowable accumulation time limits

• Hazardous waste. As a large-quantity generator, SLAC may store hazardous wastes on-site for no more than 90 days.
• Universal waste. The maximum accumulation time is one year.
• Industrial waste. This type of waste is handled as expeditiously as practicable.
• Municipal waste. Non-hazardous wastes are not subject to these time limits and can be stored longer.

Generators must contact WM within a day of beginning hazardous waste accumulation, and adhere to the time limits applicable to the kind of waste collection area they are using (see Section 5.1.3.3 “Areas” below).

Tracking System (5.1.3.2)

WM maintains a system for tracking hazardous waste from the point of waste generation to the final off-site destination. The system tracks

• All hazardous, universal, and industrial wastes on-site
• Designated waste storage areas, that is, WAAs, SWAAs, and generic waste collection areas
• Designated persons responsible for these waste storage areas
• The 45-day accumulation period. Once it is reached, the system notifies WM, which then arranges for a pick-up.

The tracking system ensures that no accumulation time limits are exceeded.

Areas (5.1.3.3)

Hazardous wastes are stored at SLAC in one of four kinds of areas:

1. Hazardous waste storage area (HWSA). This is the centralized hazardous waste storage area located at Building 447, managed and operated by WM, and used to store hazardous wastes collected from other areas. This is where wastes are packaged for off-site transportation. All wastes must be shipped off-site from here before the mandatory accumulation time expires.
2. Waste accumulation area (WAA). These areas are storage for hazardous wastes of different types and/or from different generators until the waste is transferred to the HWSA. Each WAA must be designated by WM and have a designated person responsible for it. Waste is typically moved from a WAA to the HWSA after approximately 45 days of waste accumulation. 
3. Generic waste collection area. These are areas or locations for the hazardous waste collection needs of a specific generator. Each collection area must be designated by WM and have a designated person responsible for it. Wastes from these areas can be sent to either a WAA or directly to the HWSA, but are generally moved to the HWSA before the waste accumulation time exceeds 45 days
4. Satellite waste accumulation area (SWAA). This special type of generic waste collection area is sited in close proximity to the waste generator and is therefore routinely supervised. Wastes in amounts less than 55 gallons of hazardous waste or one quart of extremely hazardous waste can accumulate in a SWAA for up to 320 days before being sent to the HWSA. Each SWAA must be designated by WM and have a designated person responsible for it.

Certain types of hazardous or universal wastes are managed through Fleet Services or the Salvage Group (see Hazardous Waste: Requirements for Common Hazardous and Universal Waste [pdf]). Industrial waste is also tracked and disposed of by WM but it is not typically stored in the areas above, which are designated for hazardous waste (see Hazardous Waste: Industrial Waste Requirements [pdf]).

Inspections

Though the size of a hazardous waste collection area may vary, the rules for storing and inspecting hazardous waste in each are similar. All waste in SWAAs, WAAs, and generic waste collection areas must be inspected once per week at minimum by the waste generator or designated person, and inspections for remote WAAs and remote generic waste collection areas must be documented.

Facility Emergency Plan

All WAAs must be included in a current facility emergency plan (FEP). If a WAA is not part of an FEP, then it must have one of its own.

Segregation (5.1.3.4)

Hazardous waste segregation has two major goals: safety and waste minimization.

Hazardous waste must be segregated by specific hazard types. Releases of incompatible wastes can result in chemical reactions that may cause injury or the release of hazardous waste into the environment. Improper segregation of wastes can also contaminate an entire container of waste, making it unacceptable for recycling. (See Chapter 40, "Hazardous Materials", for chemical storage requirements as they relate to hazardous materials, and see Hazardous Waste: Hazardous Waste Management Requirements [pdf], for segregation examples.)

Wastes must also be segregated by waste type so that WM can manage the waste according to regulatory requirements for that category. That is, hazardous waste must be handled according to stringent requirements, while many common hazardous and universal wastes are recyclable. Mixing hazardous waste with non-hazardous, universal, or industrial wastes must be avoided.

Transportation (5.1.4)

All transportation of hazardous materials will meet the requirements of this chapter.

Off-site (5.1.4.1)

All off-site transportation of hazardous wastes will be performed by properly licensed third-party subcontractors arranged and coordinated by WM. No other off-site transportation is allowed.

On-site (5.1.4.2)

WM has primary responsibility for on-site transportation of hazardous waste. Other personnel may transport small amounts of hazardous waste after obtaining clearance from WM.

Treatment (5.1.5)

Treatment of hazardous waste requires authorization under the California Tiered Permit Program, which allows the processing of designated hazardous wastes using designated types of operations. Authorization is on a department-by-department and process-by-process basis in coordination with WM and the hazardous waste treatment program manager.

Personnel (5.1.6)

Generators (5.1.6.1)

Generators of hazardous waste must be properly trained to handle hazardous waste. (See Section 5.3, “Training”.)

Designated Persons (5.1.6.2)

Line management must designate persons to manage generic waste collection areas, WAAs and SWAAs. A designated person must have completed applicable training.

Waste Management (5.1.6.3)

HWSA operations can only be carried out by qualified and trained personnel.

continue to Requirements, Roles & Responsibilities (5.1.7)