| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.92 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 12, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Maryland, College Park
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Sally
DeLeon Acting Manager Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk |
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:
Researchers, labs, and other entities on campus that use hazardous waste are encouraged to find and use alternatives to these dangerous products. In addition, researchers are asked to scale-down their experiments when possible, so as to use less hazardous product. Finally, the use of hazardous materials is disincentivized with stringent security requirements. Some chemicals or other wastes have been identified as potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, and so several safety procedures (security cameras, deadbolts, etc.) may be necessary for some labs that utilize such chemicals.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The University of Maryland Department of Environmental Safety has created a website to track and register chemical, biological, and radioactive waste for disposal. After a waste generator has completed an online training program, they may schedule a waste pick-up with DES. The waste is stored securely for transport and disposal, whether it be in drums, chemical packs, SHARPS containers, or in other waste disposal containers. These are then grouped and shipped to proper disposal facilities. In rare cases, unique chemicals or radioactive materials may be stored on campus for longer than is typical. This is often done to more efficiently dispose of chemicals or, in the case of radioactive material, to allow them to decay to safer levels.
The website URL where information about hazardous materials management 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.