| Overall Rating | Reporter - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Mark Bremer |
| Submission Date | April 6, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
State University of New York Polytechnic Institute
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Mark
Bremer Lecturer & Green Team Chair Arts & Sciences |
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 materials deemed hazardous, such as those in chemistry and biology labs, must be registered and approved before they are allowed on campus in an effort to reduce the amount of hazardous materials on campus and also prevent the spread of unknown materials.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The following links provide information on the university's electronic waste, hazardous waste, and pollution prevention policies. In addition, disposal of hazardous chemicals is handled through a partnership with the Oneida Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA) Clean Harbors contract.
https://sunypoly.edu/env-health-safety/policies-procedures/asset-disposal/
http://www.sunypoly.edu/pdf/environmental_health_and_safety/HazWaste.pptx
https://sunypoly.edu/env-health-safety/policies-procedures/pollution-prev/
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
SUNY Poly has had no significant hazardous materials releases in the past three years.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
SUNY Poly does not have an inventory system for the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals. Reuse and redistribution does occur but it is more informal between our labs and faculty.
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):
Usable electronic computer equipment that is in working order, with the processor working and/or monitor working can be handled as surplus equipment as described in the surplus equipment policy. If this option is chosen, care should be taken to assure that sensitive information is removed permanently from the computer and that copyrighted software agreements are not violated. A completed Equipment Transfer form must be sent to Facilities.
To dispose of electronic waste in the proper manner, a work order should be forwarded to Facilities to arrange for pick-up. It would greatly increase the efficiency in handling electronic waste if each department/school would temporarily store a number of electronic units prior to requesting a pick-up. A completed Asset Disposal form, with all of the signatures, must be sent to Facilities.
A brief description of steps taken to ensure that e-waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met:
Safe practice requires that users of chemicals and hazardous materials have a knowledge of potential hazards and a readiness to maintain safe conditions. The Office of Environmental Health & Safety will assist faculty and staff in obtaining information and establishing training programs. EHS maintains a collection of all campus Material Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS) and training records. Training programs are available both online and in the classroom. Employees must receive training before their initial work assignment annually thereafter and any time the employee changes work assignments where exposure changes.
The EHS office also functions as technical consultants in determining existing or potential safety and health hazards, advising as to the elimination or control of those hazards. The EHS staff is available to provide interpretations of current regulations, laws, and codes as they pertain to SUNY Poly operations. The department is also responsible for periodic inspections of the SUNY Poly facilities and operations to determine compliance to applicable regulations, laws, and codes that govern SUNY Poly’s environmental health and safety.
The Environmental Health and Safety office continues to maintain reference materials from governmental sources, standard associations and educational resources affecting campus operations. Staff members are available to assist with technical interpretations of the aforementioned reference material. They are also available to assist SUNY Poly community members in the development of additional, appropriate environmental health and safety standards for unique campus situations.
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.