City's
ESD stages hazardous waste collection
for small business generators April 11,
household hazardous waste April 12
The
City of Laredo Environmental Services Department (ESD)
will stage a hazardous waste collection for Laredo
busnesses that are Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity
Generators (CESQG). That collection date is set for
Friday, April 11, at the ESD's permanent collection
site at the Municipal Landfill on Hwy. 359. Collection
hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"Hazardous waste is hazardous waste regardless
of where it comes from," said John Porter of
the City's (ESD) public information office. "The
only difference is how it is regulated. Household
waste is not regulated and thus, home owners do not
need to report and manifest the waste that they produce
to the state or federal government. Business waste,
however, is regulated," said Porter. "Keep
in mind this can be the exact same waste that is produced
by a household (i.e., bleach, solvents, cleansers);
however, since it is produced by a business, it is
regulated waste."
The difference, Porter explained, is in the regulatory
levels placed upon businesses that produce hazardous
waste -- Conditionally Exempt Small-Quantity Generators
(CESQGs), Small-Quantity Generators (SQGs), and Large-Quantity
Generators (LQGs).
According to Porter, CESQGs produce less than 220
pounds of waste per month and are conditionally exempt
from certain regulations, provided that they comply
with the following requirements:
o Conduct a hazardous waste determination and identify
hazardous waste;
o Never store more than 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg or
approximately five 55-gallon drums) of hazardous waste
at any time;
o Send waste to an approved waste disposal facility;
o Maintain records (Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheets,
waste determinations, shipping records, and quantities
of hazardous waste generated each month).
"We think those conditionally exempt small generators
may include some of the City's smaller mechanic shops
that generate waste oil, antifreeze, and other automotive
fluids; paint contractors, cabinet makers, custom
home builders, pesticide applicators, dry cleaners,
carpet cleaners, body shops, radiator shops, metal
plating shops, and even offices that may have a large
amount of used cleaning supplies," said Porter.
"We are urging businesses that fit into that
category to rid themselves of a potential environmental
problem by bringing those substances to the collection."
Local businesses, especially warehouses that are larger
generators of hazardous waste that do not fit into
the CESQG category, according to Porter, could take
advantage of transportation costs by arranging with
the City's environmental transportation contractor
to have their hazardous substances disposed of in
the environmentally correct way.
"Under the Universal Waste Rule, batteries, paint,
and paint related wastes, pesticides, florescent lamps,
and mercury-containing thermostats, have different
regulations that allow for the accumulation of 11,000
pounds of universal waste," said Porter. "So
you could produce 5,000 lbs. of paint waste per month
and still be considered CESQG even though the limit
is normally 220 pounds, which only applies to non-universal
waste."
The ESD has set April 12 as the date for the spring
Household Hazardous Waste Collection at El Metro Park
and Ride at 1800 E. Hillside. Laredoans are urged
to clear their garages and homes of old paint cans,
household cleansers, used oil, batteries, containers
of auto fluids, solvents, and old tires, all of which
will be accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste
Collection.
For information on the April 11 CESGQ collection at
the landfill, the April 12 Household Hazardous Waste
Collection at the El Metro Park & Ride, or disposing
of larger quantities of hazardous waste, call Porter
at the City's Environmental Services Department at
(956) 794-1650, or visit the ESD's web site at http://esd.ci.laredo.tx.us.
