|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ECAR
Fact Sheet for
Pennsylvania
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 Because batteries contain lead and sulfuric acid, lead-acid battery disposal is fully regulated as a hazardous waste management activity. When intact lead-acid batteries are recycled, the handling requirements are relaxed, but the batteries are still subject to limited hazardous waste regulations. Lead-acid batteries, commonly used in vehicles, can create disposal problems. Landfilling presents the risk of groundwater contamination. With incineration, the risk is toxic air emissions. Given present disposal options, recycling is the only safe solution. Recycling these batteries not only conserves natural resources and energy, it reduces risks to human health and the environment. This fact sheet will tell you:
In Pennsylvania, recycling of lead-acid batteries is required. Recovery/Sale/Resale of Lead-Acid Batteries. If a lead-acid battery that is still functional is recovered from a scrap automobile and offered for sale/resale as is, it would not be a solid waste (and therefore also not a hazardous waste) since it is not being discarded, abandoned, or recycled. Reclamation of Lead-Acid Batteries. If you must reclaim the batteries through regeneration (such as electrolyte replacement), you are exempt from hazardous waste regulations, except for identification and management of any wastes generated through regeneration (such as spent/waste acid, broken batteries, etc.). Regulations regarding such regeneration, as well as other activities associated with spent, lead-acid batteries can be accessed under "Links to Regulations." Disposal. You may not place a used lead-acid battery in a landfill, discard or otherwise dispose of a lead-acid battery except by delivery to an automotive battery retailer or wholesaler, to a secondary lead smelter permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency, or a collection or recycling facility authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). A list of authorized battery recyclers can be accessed under "Other Relevant Resources." Lead-acid battery wholesalers. If you sell new lead-acid batteries at wholesale, you must accept, at the point of transfer, used lead-acid batteries from customers in a quantity at least equal to the number purchased. If you accept batteries in transfer from an automotive battery retailer, you have 90 days to remove batteries from the retail point of collection. Inspection of automotive battery retailers. If you resell lead-acid batteries, you may be inspected by DEP. Storing or transporting scrap lead-acid batteries. If you store or transport scrap lead-acid batteries, they are not subject to hazardous waste regulations, providing that the batteries remain whole and intact. Used lead-acid batteries must be stored properly to prevent contamination or injury from acid spillage or leakage. Indoor storage is recommended because it reduces risks from temperature extremes which cause batteries to crack and leak. Spills. Any spilled acid must be handled as a hazardous waste because it is corrosive and may contain toxic levels of lead. Report any spills that escape the storage area to your DEP regional office, or contact DEP’s 24-hour hotline at 800-541-2050. If the batteries are not reclaimed, you must follow the hazardous waste regulations. Links to the Regulations. Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to battery management. Pennsylvania Hazardous Waste Regulations Pennsylvania Requirements for Spent Lead-Acid Batteries Being Reclaimed Federal EPA Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste Federal EPA Regulations for Spent Lead-Acid Batteries Being Reclaimed 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 used battery storage areas and management procedures.
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 battery storage areas and management procedures.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
