Universal Waste Management (ERM.EHS.HMW 201)

Policy Statement & Background:

All Universal Wastes, as defined by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, shall be managed, stored, transported, and disposed of in accordance with federal and state regulations and institutional procedures.

Policy:

Universal Wastes, including batteries, lamps, mercury-containing devices, aerosols, and paints, must be managed in a manner which protects workers and reduces the risk of release into the workspace or environment.

Areas that generate or manage universal wastes must ensure all personnel complete ENV 006 Universal Waste Management training.

Environmental Health & Safety contracts with vendors to provide containers, transportation, and disposal services for universal wastes generated from campus activities.

Procedures for storing, handling, and transporting regulated medical waste can be found in ERS.EHS.HMW 202-1 Universal Waste Procedures.

Definitions:

Universal Waste (federal) - Streamlined hazardous waste management standards for certain categories of hazardous waste that are commonly generated by a wide variety of establishments. The streamlined regulations:

• promote the collection and recycling of universal waste,
• ease the regulatory burden on retail stores and other generators that wish to collect these wastes and transporters of these wastes, and
• encourage the development of municipal and commercial programs to reduce the quantity of these wastes going to municipal solid waste landfills or combustors.

These regulations apply to five types of universal waste:

• Batteries
• Pesticides
• Mercury-Containing Equipment
• Lamps
• Aerosol Cans

Universal Waste (New York state) – New York State has adopted the list of federal universal wastes. It has also included Paint to be a universal waste at the state level.

Universal Waste Paint - means interior and exterior architectural and structural coatings, including, but not limited to, primers, sealers, resin (single component), epoxy-based flooring paint (single-component), lacquers, latex, water-based paint, oil-based paint, and bridge paint. Paint does not include other industrial, original equipment or specialty coatings, paint thinners, or paint contaminated applicators, debris or personal protective equipment.

Structural coating means paint used for protective or decorative purposes on components that support built structures. Such components include, but are not limited to, bridges, trusses, girders, stringers and bents used to support walkways, roadways, railways or subways.

Contact:

Additional information about this policy is available here:

Manager of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials (631) 632-3739

HazWaste@stonybrook.edu

Relevant Standards, Codes, Rules, Regulations, Statutes, and Policies:

Federal Universal Waste Regulations

(https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-I/part-273)

New York State Universal Waste Regulations

(https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/3743fulltextregs.pdf)