Question below

Your job responsibilities have caused you to be transported to a site (i.e. helicopter) that has a long history of industrial activity and is generally considered to have a variety of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in a wide variety of containers (steel and plastic drums, pails, and totes). You’re constrained by time and budgetary concerns, and you must limit yourself to two or three techniques to delineate the site conditions. What would you suggest be done, and why? What other sources of information, not field activities, would expand your knowledge of the site? (Reference: Hazardous Waste Management. 2nd ed. Michael LaGrega. 2001. McGraw Hill, Boston.)

Other student answers: (my answers should be close)

Student 1: I would first assess the situation on site, identifying between hazardous and non-hazardous would be the most complicated process in my opinion. In the best case scenerio, the contents of the containers are marked appropriately and you could make a decision on how to handle the waste whether it be hazardous or non-hazardous.Both types of chemicals should be contained for proper disposal and handling.

Thread:

Unit V Discussion Board Question

Author:

Richard Cortopassi

Posted Date:

August 30, 2012 3:59 PM

Status:

Published

Student 2: I would recommend using up any of the material (hazardous and non-hazardous wastes) that is still viable. I would also check with other departments and see if they can use some of the material if it is still useable. Other options is to, consolidate like material in order to reduce disposal cost. In California “California empty” non-hazardous wastes can be disposed of in the regular trash. California empty is defined as no drops coming out when the container is turned over. However, we are not allowed to intentionally dry out material in order to dispose of it. We can consolidate the material and once the bucket or plastic drums to meets the definition of California empty, it can be disposed of. An example would be like,  

 Disposal of 150×5 gallon paint buckets if placed in cubic yard boxes would cost approximately $6800.00 (9 cubic yard boxes@ $758.00/ea)

The other option would be to bulk the paint into 15x 55 gallon drums. The cost would be $4065.00 (15 drums x $271.25)

 You can also have the provider of the hazardous and non-hazardous waste management do a bulking of the wastes, which may be charge an hourly rate for labor.