MCF Environmental Services have been serving medical clinics, laboratories, education institutions and local businesses for more than 30 years, offering specialist waste collection and disposal services for hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams.
Are you in compliance when it comes to hazardous waste management for your facility? It is the responsibility of every waste generator in Oregon to properly manage hazardous waste. Know the laws when it comes to hazardous industrial or medical waste collection, storage, and disposal processes.
Sources of hazardous waste laws in Oregon
Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is authorized by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate hazardous waste within the state.
The DEQ’s Division 100 (Hazardous waste management) provides detailed information regarding management of hazardous waste processes from generation through disposal.
Hazardous waste generators in the state (all industries) should also follow the guidelines found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40, Parts 263 to 268, 270, and 273.
Oregon’s Administrative Rules (OAR) are specific. Review the guidelines found in Chapter 340, Division 102 (Standards applicable to generators of hazardous waste).
Oregon definitions of waste
Knowledge of waste streams is essential for safe handling and disposal of such waste. Become familiar with the definitions of different waste streams in Oregon by turning to ORS 459.386 for clarification and legal definitions.
The state defines hazardous waste as something that includes solids, liquids, and compressed gases, and possesses one or more of four primary characteristics: toxicity, ignitability, corrosivity, and reactivity.
Additional and detailed descriptions of hazardous waste may also be found on federal or state-only lists of hazardous waste. In Oregon, such definitions and listings can be found in Rule 340.
Storage considerations
A waste generator may temporarily accumulate hazardous waste on-site prior to decontamination on-site or shipment off-site. Stipulations apply. A large quantity generator (LQG) may accumulate waste for up to 90 days before it is shipped off-site, but a small quantity generator (SQG) may accumulate waste for up to 180 days before shipment off-site. Variances in storage time may also apply depending on how far away a disposal or recycling facility is located from the generator.
Transporting hazardous waste off-site
Oregon requires documentation submitted to the DEQ for hazardous waste transported off-site. Documentation must include the generator’s federal EPA and the state’s DEQ identification number, the quarter in which the waste was generated, and the type and quantity of the hazardous waste with EPA codes.
MCF Environmental Services guides hazardous waste generators across all industries through seemingly endless regulations for its management. Contact us for additional information on services, products, and expertise in Oregon hazardous waste management and regulations.
