| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.13 |
| Liaison | Bridget Flynn |
| Submission Date | March 9, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Oberlin College
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Bridget
Flynn Sustainability Coordinator Office of Environmental Sustainability |
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 wastes are identified, characterized and profiled to ensure appropriate disposal or recycling. Transportation, disposal or recycling of materials is handled by a licensed contractor. Wastes are collected and disposed regularly to prevent accumulation of materials. Departments are instructed to only purchase quantities necessary to perform work. Chemical inventory system enables users to see if desired items are already in inventory, rather than purchasing more. Substitution of less hazardous materials is encouraged.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Transportation, disposal or recycling of materials is handled by a licensed contractor.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
1. June 2012 - Severance Building. Hydraulic Oil leak in elevator pit. Spill localized to pit. Cleanup generated one 55 gallon drum of oi/water mixture l for disposal. Non-Hazardous Waste.
2. September 2012 - Firelands Building. Hydraulic Oil leak in elevator pit after pit filled up with water due to water intrusion. Spill localized to pit. Cleanup generated 2700 gallons of a mostly water mixture contaminated with Hydraulic Oil. Non-Hazardous Waste.
3. April 2013 Science Center. Mercury spill from broken thermometer. Spill localized to single lab. Cleanup generated one 30 gallon drum of Mercury contaminated material and PPE. Hazardous Waste.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry use Vertére to track laboratory chemicals. There are plans to expand the system to cover the campus.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish all 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):
The Oberlin Technology Store collects e-waste and properly recycles it. Computers are issued for a four-year cycle to reduce waste. The City of Oberlin has twice-a-year e-waste recycling collection days. The College helps with running these events and promoting them throughout the community.
A brief description of steps taken to ensure that e-waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met:
E-waste is collected by the Center for Information Technology's Oberlin Technology Store and sent to a recycler that is recommended by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The e-waste is broken down in Ohio: the recycler has a policy against exporting any part of the e-waste to another country. Hazardous materials are sent to appropriate waste treatment plants.
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.