New Mexico State University

DISPOSAL PROCEDURES FOR REGULATED WASTES

A. Waste Tags and Request for Disposal Forms

Before chemical waste can be picked up by Safety, a waste tracking form is required. It should be filled out by the waste generator and attached to each container. The information on the tag is used to categorize and treat the waste. Please fill them out legibly, accurately and completely. Please include the following information:

1. Generator

– Name and telephone number of the individual responsible for supervising the process generating the waste.

• Contact – Phone number of generator, building name, and room number for picking up the waste.
• Amount – Total volume or weight of the chemical in the container.
• Chemical Name – Specific, full chemical name, no formulas or abbreviations. Product names or trade names are acceptable if the manufacturer’s name and address or a material safety data sheet can be supplied with the material. Vague statements such as “hydrocarbons”, “organic waste”, “various salts of …” make it impossible to comply with EPA treatment standards and will delay the pick-up until sufficiently detailed information is submitted to Safety.
• Vol. % – Percentage of the total volume to which each chemical amount is equal (should add up to 100%) or the actual weight or volume of each constituent.

Note: Biological Waste and Sharps containers do not require waste tags.

B. Request for Disposal

When your container is ready for disposal and is properly tagged, contact EH&S and request disposal pickup (see APPENDICES for examples of both a Chemical Waste and a Biological Waste or Sharps Request for Disposal form):

Contact EH&S at least five working days prior to reaching the accumulation limits of 55 gallons of potentially hazardous waste or 1 quart of acutely hazardous waste. EH&S makes pickups daily and will come to your site as quickly as possible. The information for each container listed on the form must be identical to the information on the waste disposal tag on the container.

Required Information

Please include the following information on a chemical waste Request for Disposal:

1. Facility – Check the appropriate facility.
2. Name – Name of the individual responsible for supervising the process of generating the waste. Must be a NMSU employee.
3. Department – Name of department generating the waste.
4. Mail Code – 5 character code for campus mail. See the front of the NMSU Phone Directory for listing.
5. Phone Number – Phone number of person to contact regarding waste pickup.
6. Alternate Contact – Name of individual to contact if primary contact is not available.
7. Alternate Phone – Phone number of alternate contact.
8. Location of Pickup – Building and room number where the waste is located. Use official 3-letter designation for building.
9. Tag Number – Number that is pre-printed on the tag and corresponds to the waste that is described on the form.
10. Contents – Specific, full chemical name, no formulas or abbreviations. Product names or trade names are acceptable if the manufacturer’s name and address or a material safety data sheet can be supplied with the material. Vague statements such as “hydrocarbons”, “organic waste”, “various salts of …” make it impossible to comply with EPA treatment standards and will delay the pick-up until sufficiently detailed information is submitted to Safety.
11. Percentage % – Percentage of the total volume to which each chemical amount is equal (percentages for each tag number should add up to 100%).
12. Amount – Total volume or weight of the chemical in the container.
13. Physical State – Indicate if the material is a solid (S) or liquid (L).
14. Signature – Signature of individual responsible for supervising the process of generating the waste, stating that the materials listed are fully and accurately described and are packaged and labeled according to EH&S procedures. Must be a NMSU employee (e.g., faculty, staff, TA, or RA).
15. Date – Date that the form was signed and routed to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.