Hazardous Waste
Hazardous materials can include chemicals, plastics, rubber, resins, solvents, parts cleaners, paints and motor vehicle fluids. Does your business:
1. Have a process that uses paints, solvents, adhesives or other chemicals?
Examples: metal fabrication/machine shops, vehicle maintenance and repair, wood finishers, auto body shops.
2. Have a process that includes cleaning and degreasing?
Examples: dry cleaners, vehicle maintenance and repair, surface coating and painting operations.
3. Have a process that involves electroplating and/or anodizing operations?
Examples: electroplating operations, manufacturing, metal fabrication/machine shops.
You do not need to obtain a permit if you generate hazardous waste but you must determine your generator status and manage your waste accordingly.
For more information, visit the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality hazardous waste web page.
Lamp Disposal
Waste lamps can contain levels of mercury and lead that make them hazardous waste when disposed of in certain ways. Some fluorescent lamps manufactured prior to 1978 were also commonly manufactured with PCBs. If your business generates waste lamps, you have several choices in managing that waste. Mercury and PCB-containing lamps must either be recycled as universal waste or managed as hazardous waste.
To learn more about the applicable requirements and disposal options, click here.
To learn more about the management and disposal of all universal wastes, click here.
To learn more about the regulations governing hazardous waste, click here.
The Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers offers a training module on the proper management and disposal of lamps and ballasts. To view this training, click here.
Assistance
For assistance with environmental regulations, contact the Idaho SBDC
Environmental Assistance Coordinator.
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