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ECAR
Fact Sheet for New York 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 If your wastewater is currently just going down an unregulated drain, you've got a problem. Even if your activities have gone unnoticed for years, there is an increasing chance that you will be inspected. The federal EPA and the states are starting to look much more carefully at sources of water pollution that have so far remained unidentified, and they have (rightly or wrongly) decided that auto recyclers are a significant problem area. There are a few basic rules to keep in mind. The first is that wastewater from ordinary lavatory use and hand washing ("sanitary wastewater") can generally be discharged to a city sewer or a septic field only if it does not contain any waste from industrial sources. The second is that the storm drains that carry rain and snow runoff from dismantling yards, roof downspouts, parking lots, and other surfaces typically go directly to open waterways, and must never be used for disposal. It is important that all the employees at your yard are aware of these rules, and that they respect them. You will almost certainly need separate permits both for stormwater runoff (see the ECAR Stormwater fact sheet) and for any industrial wastewater that you generate. This page will give you an overview of how to handle your industrial wastewater. This fact sheet addresses wastewater discharges other than stormwater, which is covered by a different fact sheet. Wastewater from salvage yards can be subdivided into two main types:
Sanitary wastewater can be discharged to a city sewer system or an approved septic tank system. Most local governments require businesses to obtain a discharge permit. Sanitary wastewater cannot be discharged to a stream, pond, or wetland without having a special permit. If you have questions regarding sanitary wastewater, contact your local sewer authority or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Division of Water. Industrial wastewater is regulated differently than sanitary wastewater. If you combine sanitary and industrial wastewater, then the mixed wastewater is regulated like industrial wastewater. All industrial wastewater discharges are regulated by federal and state regulations and in most cases, also by local regulations. There are three primary options for disposing of industrial wastewater from auto recycling facilities:
Most auto recyclers use option 1 or 2. Option 1 is an economical solution when there is a sufficiently small volume of wastewater generated (see BMPs for minimizing the volume). Option 2 is viable when the facility is located in an area served by a municipal sanitary sewer system. Before you begin to discharge industrial wastewater using option 2 you must acquire a permit or written notification from either your local sewer district or NYSDEC. You will also have to meet certain rules found in federal and state regulations, including:
To meet these rules, you may need to install treatment equipment such as an oil/water separator to prevent oil and sludge from being discharged to the sewer. This is referred to as "pretreatment." The oil and sludge collected by pretreatment equipment will have to be periodically removed and disposed of, possibly as a hazardous waste (you must make a hazardous waste determination). In most instances, wastewater will require some form of pretreatment prior to discharge into the sewer system. There may be other restrictions, beyond pretreatment requirements, so recyclers must check with local sewer authorities. It is important to note that discharging industrial wastewater to a septic tank is not a viable option. Septic tank systems, wells, drain fields, cesspools and similar disposal sites are regulated by federal and state Underground Injection Control (UIC) program rules that are designed to prevent the contamination of underground drinking water supplies. The UIC program was established as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act and requires facilities that discharge non-sanitary wastewaters to ground water to either (1) close the cesspool, dry well or septic system, or (2) obtain a permit under the UIC program. For more information, see the Septic Tanks and Disposal Wells Fact Sheet. Links to the Regulations and Forms. Use the following links to view the regulations and permit forms pertaining to wastewater. SPDES Multi-Sector General Permit Fact Sheet Federal Safe Drinking Water Act 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). Use the following list to audit your wastewater management activities.
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 wastewater management.
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