| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.36 |
| Liaison | Michael Chapman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 20, 2023 |
Nova Scotia Community College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Martha
MacGowan Project Assistant- Sustainability Facilities & Engineering |
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?:
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
All 13 NSCC campuses with different programming that produce a variety of hazardous waste. NSCC requires each campus to have a hazardous waste management plan.
We look for ways of reducing our chemical waste and associated costs. For example, our central laboratory at the Ivany campus uses a chlorine probe, which gives more consistent results and produces less hazardous waste than the previous colourimetric method for chloride determination.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
All waste that is deemed hazardous is stored in the appropriate containers. It is appropriately handled according to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. All staff and students must take an online WHMIS course, and if students or staff are working with hazardous materials, they are taught appropriate disposal methods. For example, at the Ivany Campus, students cannot enter the Water Resources lab until completing their WHMIS course.
All NSCC campuses that produce hazardous waste/materials will store the materials according to WHMIS regulations. All potentially hazardous liquids are stored in secondary containment. A qualified contractor collects and ensures the appropriate disposal of hazardous wastes.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
No significant hazardous material release incidents have occurred during the previous three years.
NSCC's Occupational Health Safety & Environmental Services team is dedicated to providing emergency preparedness training to all NSCC employees. A primary component of this training is chemical spill training.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
NSCC does not currently have a system that supports the redistribution and reuse of hazardous materials. As a college, we are now transitioning from using hazardous products to more environmentally friendly options and using the undesired chemicals' proper disposal methods to ensure they are not being reused.
For non-hazardous laboratory chemicals, NSCC utilizes local programs or contacts the municipality to inquire if the leftover chemicals can be reused. If they cannot be reused, they are appropriately disposed of.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s), including information about how electronic waste generated by the institution and/or students is recycled:
Every NSCC institution recycles its electronic waste. The electronic waste is collected and stored by the facilities team and is taken to local recycling depots. NSCC drops off its electronics at EPRA-approved service providers in their area of the province.
All students, residents and non-residents can bring any electronic waste to the facilities staff for recycling.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.