Avoid Waste Fines by Not Making these Blunders

Do you have trouble keeping up with the waste regulations in your area? For many businesses, this is a huge challenge. Just one mistake and you may end up paying a huge fine. What can you do to avoid this? We talked to some industry professionals and they suggested that the following mistakes must be avoided if you do not want to face any legal issues.

Dumping hazardous waste into the sewer system

This is so understandable, but despite this, we see many businesses practicing it. Studies show that this is among the most common violation of waste regulations. Many businesses believe that even if they dump their waste, the authorities will never come to know of it. Wrong. Thanks to the latest technology available, sewer systems now feature advanced sensors that can not only identify toxic chemicals, but also determine their point of origin, which will be your business.

So wherever you dispose of your waste, it should definitely not be the sewer system.

Not properly marking containers that contain hazardous waste

Yes, we know your hands are tied when it comes to employees, but that is no reason not to follow the rules.   So many workers fail to label containers that are used for storing toxic waste. Assign one of your employees for just this sole task, ascertaining that every container is properly marked before any waste goes into it. And by the way, this is both for the central storage area and the satellite accumulation points.

Not covering the containers

Once again, this is something which employees forget to do because they already have so many other responsibilities.  According to the EPA, closed means absolutely leak proof and vapor tight, which they require your containers to be. Even if you left the lid open just a crack, the authorities still regard it as a poor treatment methodology since the waste volume is being reduced by evaporation. As such, the lids on your container must be properly closed. Also ascertain that your employees are aware of the regulations in this regard.

Storing waste in amounts greater than 55 gallons in SAP or satellite accumulation areas

As per the rules, you only have permission to store up to 55 gallons of waste at the point from which it is generated, if you have proper control over it. Should you not abide by this, you may have to pay a fine if the authorities find out.

Source: www.environmentalleader.com