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Regulations BACK to VIRTUAL TOUR The following fact sheet was prepared by the ECAR Center staff. Once prepared, each ECAR Center fact sheet undergoes a review process with the applicable state environmental agency(ies). You can check on the status of the review process here. Please read the disclaimer on the status page. While we have tried to present a summary of the essential information on this topic, you should be aware that other items, such as local regulations, may apply to you. What You Need to Know In Massachusetts, transmission fluid is regulated as a hazardous waste if it is destined for disposal. You can avoid the burden of treating transmission fluid as a hazardous waste if it is recycled, but you must have a permit from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to do so. Transmission fluid is difficult to remove and spills are a very common occurrence. Up to eight quarts of fluid can be drained from a car’s transmission. Extra care must be taken to properly drain transmissions so that spills do not occur. This fact sheet will tell you what you need to do to avoid problems with fluids. Unlike most states, the State of Massachusetts has not adopted the federal regulations that apply to used oil management. Massachusetts’ requirements for “waste oil” are stricter than the federal rules and more complicated. Under state law, waste oil is designated as a listed hazardous waste and is regulated as a hazardous waste if it is destined for disposal. Gear oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid are not regulated as a hazardous waste if they are recycled. These crude-based petroleum products can be managed like or with your used oil ONLY IF they have not been mixed with or contaminated by hazardous wastes such as solvents, brake cleaner or carburetor cleaner. Do not dispose of crude-based petroleum products in a storm drain, septic tank, dry well, sewer system or dumpster. Refer to the Used Oil Fact Sheet. If the fluids have been contaminated by other solvents, you must follow the hazardous waste requirements for storage and disposal. See the ECAR Hazardous Waste Fact Sheet. For management and disposal/recycle of contaminated fluids, you must:
Transmission filters should be handled like used oil filters. This means that transmission filters are exempt from the state hazardous waste requirements if they are they are managed by following these steps:
*Oil collected from draining must be managed with your waste oil as a hazardous waste. Spill Control. If an oil spill occurs as a result of draining or handling waste oil filters, you must perform the following cleanup steps:
Links to the Regulations. Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to waste oil filter management. Massachusetts Waste Oil Requirements When an inspector comes to your facility, there are certain things he or she checks to see if you are in compliance with environmental regulations. It makes good sense for you to perform a "self-audit" and catch and correct problems before they result in penalties. Also, there are some compliance incentives associated with self-audits (see Audit Policy Page). For a self-audit checklist for these fluids, follow the steps on the ECAR Used Oil Fact Sheet. Best Management Practices (BMPs) Most regulations tell you what you have to do to be in compliance, but they don’t explain how to do it. That’s where "best management practices" come into play. BMPs are proven methods that help you to get into compliance and stay there. The following BMPs are recommended for management and recycle of used transmission fluid/gear oil:
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