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ECAR Fact Sheet for New Hampshire
Hazardous Wastes
The
intent of the hazardous waste program is to provide a cradle-to-grave
management system for hazardous wastes to ensure that these wastes
are not mismanaged in a way that will impact human health or the
environment. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
(DES) has adopted the federal hazardous waste regulations (40 CFR
Parts 260-279) and has some of its own state-specific requirements.
The
DES has prepared guidance documents to help auto recyclers manage
hazardous waste. Much of the information is included in the fact
sheet below, or you can link to the Small Quantity Generator
Requirements and the Full Quantity Generator
Requirements guidance documents.
To
comply with New Hampshire’s hazardous waste requirements, you must
follow the steps below:
- Determine whether any hazardous waste is generated.
- Determine your facility’s generator status.
- Determine which regulations must be complied with depending
upon your facility’s generator status, and comply with those requirements.
Regulations
Definition
of Waste. A waste
is considered hazardous if it meets any of the conditions below.
It:
- Is listed as a hazardous waste.
- Is mixed with a listed waste.
- Exhibits the characteristic of ignitability, corrosivity,
reactivity, or toxicity.
Hazardous
Waste Determination. It
is the responsibility of all generators to determine whether their
waste is hazardous. The procedure for this is called a “hazardous
waste determination.” You may assume a waste is hazardous
based on its characteristics or on past laboratory analysis provided
there is no change in how the waste was generated. In some cases,
you may use your knowledge of a waste to make a determination as
to whether the waste is a characteristic hazardous waste. If you use such information
to classify a waste as nonhazardous, you must maintain documentation
supporting this determination. If you are not sure, have the waste
tested. Keep in mind that a non-hazardous waste may become hazardous
if contaminated or mixed with other materials and re-testing would
be needed.
*In
New Hampshire, used oil with the waste code NH01 is considered hazardous.
In addition, strontium sulfide with waste code NH03 is considered
an acutely hazardous waste.
Wastes
can be hazardous if they are either “listed” or “characteristic”,
or if they are a mixture of a listed hazardous waste and other wastes.
A. Listed wastes. Waste is considered hazardous if it is found on any one
of four “lists”. These “lists” are called the “F”, “K”, “P” and
“U” lists.
B. Characteristic wastes. Once a facility has reviewed the F, K, P and U lists,
and determined whether generated wastes are found on any of the
lists, a determination will need to be made to see if these wastes
are “characteristic” hazardous wastes. There are four different
characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity.
- IGNITABLE - combustible under certain conditions
- CORROSIVE - highly acidic, basic and/or capable of corroding
metal
- REACTIVE - unstable under normal conditions and capable
of creating explosions and/or toxic fumes, gases, and vapors when
mixed with water
- TOXICITY - wastes contain dangerous amounts of metals,
pesticides, herbicides, and organic chemicals that could be released
to the groundwater.
C. Mixtures of listed wastes and other wastes. A mixture containing a non-hazardous
solid waste and any amount of a listed hazardous waste is considered
a hazardous waste. For example, if a pint of spent solvent such
a toluene or benzene (an F005 listed hazardous waste) is mixed with
a 55 gallon drum of waste antifreeze, the entire mixture (e.g.,
55 gallons plus one pint) is considered a hazardous waste (as opposed
to only one pint being a hazardous waste had the two wastes not
been mixed). Hence, it is very important to keep wastes segregated.
Not only is it better for the environment, but it will reduce disposal
costs (it’s more expensive to dispose of hazardous waste than it
is solid waste).
D. Universal Wastes. Universal wastes have fewer waste management rules
that apply to them. For more information about the generation, storage,
transportation, disposal and recycling of universal wastes, refer
to the state’s universal waste requirements.
Generator
Status.
If you manage hazardous waste, you must determine your generator
status. Your facility will fall under one of the two classifications
below.
- Small
Quantity Generator (SQG). You are considered
a SQG if you, in each and every calendar month, generates
less than:
-
100 kg (220 lbs.) of hazardous waste;
- 1
kg (2.2 lbs.) of an acutely hazardous waste; and
- 100
kg (220 lbs.) of any residue or contaminated soil, waste,
or other debris resulting from the cleanup of a spill of any
acutely hazardous waste.
- Full
Quantity Generator (FQG). You are considered a FQG
if you, in each and every calendar month:
- Generates
equal to or greater than a total of 100 kg (220 lbs.) of hazardous
waste in any single month; or
- Generates
equal to or greater than 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) of an acutely hazardous
waste in any single month; or
- Accumulates
equal to or greater than 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) of an acutely hazardous
waste at any time; or
- Generates
equal to or greater than 100 kg (220lbs.) of spill cleanup
material contaminated with hazardous waste in any single month;
or
- Accumulates
equal to or greater than 100 kg (220 lbs.) of spill cleanup
material contaminated with acutely hazardous waste at any
time.
Complying
with Hazardous Waste Rules.
Once you have determined whether you generate hazardous waste and
your generator status, you can determine which requirements apply
to you. See the Small Quantity Generator
Requirements and the Full Quantity Generator
Requirements guidance documents for more details
Links
to the Regulations. Use
the following links to view the regulations pertaining to hazardous
waste management.
New Hampshire
Hazardous Waste Management Requirements
Federal EPA Standards Applicable
to Generators of Hazardous Waste
Contacts
- For more information, contact the New Hampshire
DES Waste Management Division at
603-271-2900.
- To report a spill or leak during business hours, call
the DES at 603-271-3899. If after hours or the weekend, call the
New Hampshire State Police Hazardous Material Response at 800-346-4009
(in-state), or 603-271-3636 (out-of-state).
- To report an environmental incident or complaint,
contact the nearest regional office
or link to the DES Public Information
Center.
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