Waste disposal a complicated process

By Charlotte Marten, Nathan Serota, Nodoka Fuse and Jessica Hamamoto

Thousands of gallons of toxic, corrosive, radioactive and flammable materials are transported and used daily for many different purposes. You may be surprised to find that hazardous waste can be found in your own home and can pose risks to human health and the environment if improperly stored, transported, disposed or otherwise managed.

The University of Hawai‘i has approximately 500 laboratories with as many a 10,000 different chemicals, which creates about 1,100 lbs. of hazardous waste per month. Examples of materials that are potential health hazards include adhesives, aerosols, battery fluids, cleaning solutions, compressed gases, degreasers, detergents, etching agents, fertilizers, fuel, greases, inks, oils and pesticides. Because of the extremely hazardous chemicals used, the university needs a full-time staff and department to handle, track and dispose of hazardous waste.

The Environment Health and Safety Office at the University of Hawai‘i at M?noa is dedicated to asssuring that all hazardous wastes are identified, and safely managed and disposed of to ensure a safe campus environment.

"We are here for advice, assistance and training," said Tim O'Callaghan, UH's hazardous material management officer. "Everything has to go through our department. ... I have to complete forms for each and every one of the thousands of chemicals handled annually by UH."

One might wonder how these hazardous chemicals are handled and how they are transported from department to department. "First of all, in order for us to pick up waste from anyone, they have to attend our hazardous waste generating training," O'Callaghan said. "The training basically tells them what the regulations are, and it also goes over the university's program and what their responsibilities are."

"The students are instructed what to do with their waste, and the professor can determine if some people should go for training," he said. "Oftentimes the staff people take care of it." When laboratories or departments on campus no longer need a certain chemical, they are required to contact the Environment Health and Safety Office, submit an application and arrange for pickup and removal of the waste, O'Collaghan said.

O'Callaghan said that a department or laboratory cannot exceed 55 gallons of waste or 1 kg acute hazardous waste at any given time. "That's in the regulations." He continued that UH M?noa is fully committed to protecting the environment and maintaining a safe and healthy campus and workplace. "We have problems on occasion, but not very often," he said.

Click here to find out more how you can dispose your hazardous waste.