Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.88
Liaison Barbara Queen
Submission Date June 6, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

California State University, Los Angeles
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.75 / 1.00 Nida Niravanh
Director RM/EHS
Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have strategies in place to safely dispose of all hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste and seek to minimize the presence of these materials on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

The University utilizes an approval process for the purchase of all chemicals by the institution. The review by the RM/EHS Office looks at the material being purchased, its safety, hazard and exposure characteristics, the degree of severity of the chemical utilizing NFPA and Cal/OSHA standards, and the quantity being purchase to assure that adequate storage is available and that there remains only a ready supply of the hazardous material on hand. A review by the Office of Risk Management & Environmental, Health and Safety occurs and authorization to purchase is approved or not prior to the procurement of any hazardous material. Hazardous materials are inventoried using a bar code system and tracked through the life-cycle of the material to ultimate disposal. Hazardous materials that are identified as being no longer needed are offered to other authorized users of that material to maximize usage, minimize new inventory, and promote waste minimization.


A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

The University utilizes a certified hazardous waste hauler within the State of California and nationally, and disposal of the waste materials goes only to approved hazardous waste disposal sites. Identified credentialed personnel in the RM/EHS Office review and approve of all of the hazardous waste manifests prior to shipment. Tracking and reconciliation is maintained within the RM/EHS Office for all hazardous waste, universal waste and non-hazardous waste shipments.


A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:

There have been no significant hazardous material release incidents during the prior three years. The spill response activities typically involve small spills of mercury (broken thermometers)*, small solvent spillage, and small acid spillage. Nothing has come to the threshold of being a reportable quantity and release under the State of California or Federal EPA criteria.


A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:

The University has employed a chemical inventory management system for the last ten (10) years through Vertere, a firm specializing in chemical inventory management for colleges and universities. This system employs a bar code application identifying a particular container through the life-cycle of that chemical compound. With scanners the material can be identified wherever it may be stored, and area inventories are developed on this tracking system. Initial application has focused on our academic sciences and engineering facilities, and the management system continues to be rolled out to other academic areas (Fine Arts, Theatre and Criminal Justice) and operational areas.


Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish all electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
No

A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s):

Electronic wastes submitted to the RM/EHS Office are recycled through the hazardous waste hauler for the University. The Property Management Department receives and surveys out unusable computers, TVs, and miscellaneous electronics through an off-campus recycler.


A brief description of steps taken to ensure that e-waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met:

The pick-up and disposal of e-wastes are controlled through certified contractors, that employ proper worker protections, and the activities on campus are subject to surveillance by the RM/EHS Office. Only recycle/disposal sites determined safe and approved by the CSU are utilized. Non-hazardous manifests and bill of ladings are reviewed and signed by the University, and tracking is confirmed by return copies from the ultimate disposal/recycle destinations.


The website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous and electronic-waste recycling programs is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.