Hazardous Waste Section
All generators of waste are required by law to identify and evaluate their
waste. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), in
Title 40 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 261, contains lists specifying
wastes that are regulated and characteristics for identifying non-listed
hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste can be generated in several different
ways. Hazardous waste can be products containing hazardous materials that
are damaged during shipment, discontinued supplies, products having an expired
shelf life, discarded paints, spent solvents, waste degreasers, cleaning
compounds or by-products of chemical processes.
Hazardous waste is regulated by the federal government and can
be found in
Title
40 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), Parts 260 to 271. The State of
Florida has adopted by reference portions of the federal regulations into its
Florida Administrative Code (FAC)
Rule
62-730.
Ensuring that hazardous wastes are handled in accordance with
Federal and State rules and laws is the responsibility of the Compliance and
Enforcement Sub-Section of the DEP. This group interacts with the public and
with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) branch of the Federal EPA
to develop policies and guidance, to provide compliance assistance to the public
and the regulated community, and to enforce the laws regulating the handling of
hazardous waste.
|
Frequently Asked Questions |
Question:
Are my wastes specifically listed as hazardous waste?
40 CFR 261.31 thru 40 CFR 261.33 identifies certain wastes that
the United States Environmental Protection Agency has listed as hazardous.
These wastes come from non-specific and specific sources or are discarded
commercial chemical products, off-spec commercial chemical products, container
residues, or spill residues thereof. Please see the
hazardous
waste identification page for a list of examples and further discussion.
top
Question:
Does my waste exhibit a hazardous characteristic?
Your wastes may not be a listed hazardous waste but may be
identified as one if it exhibits any of the four characteristics of a hazardous
waste.
-
Ignitability: The waste material must have a
flashpoint of less than 140o F and/or be an aqueous solution with
an alcohol content of greater than or equal to 24% percent. Examples
are solvents, , waste paints, paint thinners and oxidizers. The hazardous waste number
is D001.
-
Corrosivity: The waste material must be a liquid and
have a pH of less than 2.0 or greater than 12.5. Examples are acids
and caustics. The hazardous waste number is D002.
-
Reactivity: The waste material is reactive to water,
shock, heat, pressure and undergoes a rapid or violent chemical
reaction. Some examples are perchlorates, peroxides and
cyanides. The hazardous waste number is D003.
-
Toxicity Characteristic: This category includes eight
heavy metals and thirty-one organic chemicals including ten
pesticides. These have assigned numbers from D004 to D043. Waste
in this category need only contain very small amounts of arsenic, lead,
mercury or one of the other heavy metals, or organics such as benzene,
trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, vinyl chloride, methyl ethyl ketone,
or one of the ten pesticides.
Please see the hazardous
waste identification page for a list of examples and further discussion.
top
Question:
There are so many regulations, which apply to me?
The amount of all hazardous waste generated and/or accumulated
at your place of business will determine what regulations apply to you.
First, you must determine what category of hazardous waste generation you fit
into.
-
Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator
(CESQG):
A CESQG generates no more than 100 kilograms (220 lbs) of hazardous waste in
one month or no more than 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of an acute hazardous waste
(i.e. P-listed hazardous waste such as arsenic and cyanide compounds) in one
month. As a CESQG, you can not accumulate more than 1,000 kilograms
(2,200 lbs) of hazardous waste at any time.
-
Small Quantity Generator
(SQG): A SQG generates more
than 100 kilograms (220 lbs) but less than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) of
hazardous waste in one month. As a SQG, you can not accumulate more
than 6,000 kilograms (13,200 lbs) of hazardous waste at any time.
-
Large Quantity Generator
(LQG): A LQG generates more
than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) of hazardous waste in one month or greater
than 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of an acute hazardous waste (i.e. P-listed
hazardous waste such as arsenic and cyanide compounds) in one month.
For general information regarding regulations that apply to each
of these categories, please see the
online
summary of hazardous waste regulations.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection also publishes
brochures that are industry specific (i.e. Drycleaners, Automobile
Repair Shops and many others). These brochures are good source of
information for proper management of wastes that are generated by your
facility.
top
Question:
Okay, my facility generates hazardous waste.
What do I do with it?
All hazardous waste must be properly containerized as soon as it is
generated. For disposal, your facility must ensure delivery of the
hazardous waste to a permitted treatment, storage or disposal facility.
Contact your district office for a list of permitted treatment, storage
or disposal facilities.
Hazardous wastes must be handled in ways that prevent them from
reaching the environment. They need to be kept out of the soil, ground
water, surface water and air. Exposure to them can cause adverse health
effects. In Florida, because of our shallow aquifers, even small amounts
of hazardous waste can seep into the groundwater and contaminate our
drinking water supply.
To show how serious Florida regards the improper disposal of
hazardous waste, state statutes allow assessment of penalties ranging up
to $50,000 per day per violation.
Hazardous waste cannot be:
- evaporated;
- discharged to the sewer system (or septic tank); or
- discharged to soil or water
top
Hazardous Waste Personnel:
- Hazardous Waste Supervisor, Ashwin Patel, (904)
807-3378
- Senior Clerk , Deneen Benefield ,(904) 807-3371
*Ms. Benefield is in charge of Hazardous Waste files and should be
contacted to make appointments for file reviews.
- Hazardous Waste Manager, Vicky Valade, (904) 807-3379
Complaints:
Call in Complaints about hazardous waste dumping, used oil
dumping, illegal disposal of hazardous waste and other violations to Ashwin Patel, (904)
807-3378 or via email at
Ashwin.Patel@dep.state.fl.us.
Please include or have ready exact information, such
as the facility name, facility owner's name, property owner's name, the address
of the facility and the environmental
problem when calling in or emailing the complaint.
For more information on hazardous waste, please visit the
Bureau
of Solid and Hazardous Waste page pertaining to
Hazardous
Waste.
top
|
