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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 Fluids, like gear oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid, are 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. These fluids are not inherently hazardous, but if they contain certain additives, or if they have become contaminated with other solvents, they can fall under the hazardous waste rules. You can avoid the burden of treating fluids as a hazardous waste:
This fact sheet will tell you what you need to do to avoid problems with fluids. 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 recycled or properly disposed of in a landfill or hazardous waste facility. Spills. Clean up all spills right away. Keep spill control equipment in a central location, accessible to all employees. Report chemical spills which may cause pollution to the State Duty Officer at 651-649-5451 or 1-800-422-0798. (Please refer to the cleanup fact sheets MPCA Reporting Spills and Leaks, and Spill Prevention and Planning. Links to the Regulations. Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to used fluid management. Minnesota Standards for Used Oil Generators Minnesota Hazardous Waste Rules Federal EPA Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste 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:
For more information, contact the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Regional Office closest to you:
*Report petroleum and fuel spills of five or more gallons, and any other chemical spill (including lead-acid batteries) which may cause pollution, to the State Duty Officer at 651-649-5451 or 1-800-422-0798.
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