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ECAR Fact Sheet for Pennsylvania Transmission Fluid, Power Steering Fluid and Gear Oil 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 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:
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. 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 one of the following methods:
Also, keep in mind that "hot-drained" means draining the oil filters at temperatures near the operating temperature of the engine, not draining at room temperature. A minimum of 12 hours draining time is required for proper hot-draining. Filters that immediately drip oil when picked up are not considered drained. *Used oil drained from filters can be combined with other used oil. Used oil filters that are not drained by the above methods must be managed as hazardous waste. Fuel filters also are considered hazardous waste and must be managed accordingly. Disposal. If the above methods have been performed, used oil filters can be disposed of according to town and county requirements. The drained filters should be placed in covered dumpsters or containers that prevent rain infiltration. In addition, the dumpsters or containers should be capable of holding any residual used oil that may escape from the filter. Oil Spills. If a spill occurs, you must perform the following cleanup steps:
Links to the Regulations. Use the following links to view the regulations pertaining to used fluid management. Pennsylvania Code Used Oil Management Regulations Federal EPA Used Oil Management 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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