Any hazardous waste that may need disposal from another part of the campus is moved to the chemical storage room for disposition. The movement of this waste is coordinated between the Office of Public Safety and the coordinator of the chemical storage room.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has entered into a hazardous waste removal contract along with other Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities. Waste is removed from the campus on a quarterly basis.
The Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has developed an extensive Chemical Hygiene Plan. Because of its length, it has not been incorporated into this document. The plan is kept with this document for reference when needed. The table of contents page has been incorporated into the appendices.
Defining Hazardous Waste
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has defined a hazardous waste as any material that no longer has a use and is either specifically listed in the regulations or meets defined hazard characteristics.
Characteristics of HazardousWaste
Wastes exhibiting any of the following characteristics:
Ignitable
- Liquids that have a flash point less than 140F (60C)
- Flammable solids
- Flammable compressed gases
- Oxidizers
Corrosive
- Aqueous solutions with pH less than 2and greater than 12.5
- Corrodes steel
Reactivity
- Water reactive substances
- Unstable or explosive chemicals
- Cyanide or sulfide containing chemicals that generate toxic gases when exposed to corrosive substances
Toxic
- Materials that have certain heavy metals or organic constituents above regulated limits (EPA D List) (see EPA Waste Finder)
- Materials that meet or exceed TCLP laboratory testing (see Materials Safety Data Sheet)
- ContactEnvironmental Health and Safetyfor additional toxicity information