New Mexico State University

WASTE ACCUMULATION AREAS

I. Requirements for the Accumulation Area

A. Containers

Containers holding waste must be in good condition, not leaking, and compatible with the waste being stored. The container must always be closed during storage, except when it is necessary to add waste. Hazardous waste must not be placed in unwashed containers that previously held an incompatible material (see Incompatibility chart in APPENDICES).

If a container holding hazardous waste is not in good condition or if it begins to leak, the generator must transfer the waste from this container to a container that is in good condition, overpack the container, or manage the waste in some other way that prevents a potential for a release or contamination. Please contact EH&S, 646-3327, if assistance is required.

A storage container holding a hazardous waste that is incompatible with any waste or other materials stored nearby in other containers must be separated from the other materials or protected from them by means of a partition, wall or other device.

All waste containers must be:

1. Clearly labeled, with their contents indicated. No container should be marked with the words “hazardous waste” or “non-hazardous waste”. EH&S tags may be used to list the contents. Paint over or remove any old labels.
2. Kept at or near (immediate vicinity) the site of generation and under control of the generator.
3. Compatible with contents (i.e. acid should not be stored in metal cans).
4. Closed at all times except when waste is being added to container.
5. Properly identified with completed waste tags before pickup is requested.
6. Safe for transport with non-leaking screw-on caps.
7. Filled to a safe level (not beyond the bottom of the neck of the container or a 2-inch head space for 55 gallon drums). Over-filled bottles are:
   1. hard to pour safely,
   2. inclined to burst,
   3. apt to leak, and
   4. capable of endangering the technician through splashing or shooting up into one’s face upon opening or transporting.

Note: Do not use Red bags, Sharps containers (Biohazard), or Asbestos bags for hazardous chemical waste collection.

B. Accumulation Guidelines

A generator of possible hazardous waste may accumulate up to a total of 55 gallons of waste, which may be determined to be hazardous by the EH&S, or one quart of “listed” acutely hazardous waste (see Appendix IV) at or near the point of generation. If a process will generate more than this volume at one time, EH&S should be contacted in advance to arrange a special waste pick up.

Whenever possible, keep different hazardous wastes separate so that disposal options remain clearer and more cost effective. In all cases, do not mix incompatible wastes or other materials (see Appendix III) in the same container or place wastes in an unwashed container that previously held an incompatible waste or material. However, if separation is not practical, collect waste in compatible containers and try to keep it segregated into the following categories:

1. Miscellaneous solids, e.g., grossly contaminated gloves, rags or towels, and other grossly contaminated lab equipment should be collected separately from liquid wastes.
2. Halogenated solvents, e.g., methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride.Note: Disposal of non-halogenated solvents contaminated with halogens costs 4-5 times as much as non-halogenated solvents.
3. Non-halogenated solvents, e.g., xylene, toluene, alcohols.
4. Waste oil must be kept as uncontaminated as possible in order to be recycled. You should keep oils separate from other chemicals, particularly solvents, pesticides, and PCB’s.
5. Acids.
6. Bases.
7. Metal-bearing waste whether dry, flammable, corrosive or other. Specific metals of concern are arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, and thallium.
8. Accumulate waste that is both flammable and corrosive separately from waste that is either flammable or corrosive.
9. Special wastes, e.g., cyanide, sulfide, pesticides, oxidizers, organic acids, explosives and peroxides, should be collected individually whenever possible.
10. Mercury and mercury containing compounds. All mixtures containing mercury in any form must be disposed of as mercury contaminated waste