§ 262.104 - What are the minimum performance criteria?

§ 262.104 What are the minimum performance criteria?

The Minimum Performance Criteria that each University must meet in managing its Laboratory Waste are:

(a) Each University must label all laboratory waste with the general hazard class and either the words “laboratory waste” or with the chemical name of the contents. If the container is too small to hold a label, the label must be placed on a secondary container.

(b) Each University may temporarily hold up to 55 gallons of laboratory waste or one quart of acutely hazardous laboratory waste, or weight equivalent, in each laboratory, but upon reaching these thresholds, each University must mark that laboratory waste with the date when this threshold requirement was met (by dating the container(s) or secondary container(s)).

(c) Each university must remove all of the dated laboratory waste from the laboratory for delivery to a location identified in paragraph (i) of this section within 30 days of reaching the threshold amount identified in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) In no event shall the excess laboratory waste that a laboratory temporarily holds before dated laboratory waste is removed exceed an additional 55 gallons of laboratory waste (or one additional quart of acutely hazardous laboratory waste). No more than 110 gallons of laboratory waste total (or no more than two quarts of acutely hazardous laboratory waste total) may be temporarily held in a laboratory at any one time. Excess laboratory waste must be dated and removed in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.

(e) Containers of laboratory wastes must be:

(1) Closed at all times except when wastes are being added to (including during in-line waste collection) or removed from the container;

(2) Maintained in good condition and stored in the laboratory in a manner to avoid leaks;

(3) Compatible with their contents to avoid reactions between the waste and its container; and must be made of, or lined with, materials which are compatible with the laboratory wastes to be temporarily held in the laboratory so that the container is not impaired; and

(4) Inspected regularly (at least annually) to ensure that they meet requirements for container management.

(f) The management of laboratory waste must not result in the release of hazardous constituents into the land, air and water where such release is prohibited under federal law.

(g) The requirements for emergency response are:

(1) Each University must post notification procedures, location of emergency response equipment to be used by laboratory workers and evacuation procedures;

(2) Emergency response equipment and procedures for emergency response must be appropriate to the hazards in the laboratory such that hazards to human health and the environment will be minimized in the event of an emergency;

(3) In the event of a fire, explosion or other release of laboratory waste which could threaten human health or the environment, the laboratory worker must follow the notification procedures under paragraph (g)(1) of this section.

(h) Each University must investigate, document, and take actions to correct and prevent future incidents of hazardous chemical spills, exposures and other incidents that trigger a reportable emergency or that require reporting under paragraph (g) of this section.

(i) Each University may only transfer laboratory wastes from a laboratory:

(1) Directly to an on-site designated hazardous waste accumulation area. Notwithstanding 40 CFR 263.10(a), each University must comply with requirements for transporters set forth in 40 CFR 263.30 and 263.31 in the event of a discharge of laboratory waste en route from a laboratory to an on-site hazardous waste accumulation area; or

(2) To a treatment, storage or disposal (TSD) facility permitted to handle the waste under 40 CFR part 270 or in interim status under 40 CFR parts 265 and 270 (or authorized to handle the waste by a state with a hazardous waste management program approved under 40 CFR part 271) if it is determined in the laboratory by the individuals identified in § 262.105(b)(3) to be responsible for waste management decisions that the waste is a hazardous waste and that it is prudent to transfer it directly to a treatment, storage, and disposal facility rather than an on-site accumulation area.

(j) Each University must ensure that laboratory workers receive training and are provided with information so that they can implement and comply with these Minimum Performance Criteria.