EPA Rule Would Give Colleges More Power in Planning Hazardous Waste Disposal

June 27, 2006

Colleges and universities would have more flexibility in deciding how best to dispose of hazardous laboratory waste under a proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued May 23.

The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is very similar to recommendations made to EPA in 2002 by a group of higher education associations, including the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). The recommendations stemmed from a long-standing effort to convince EPA of the need for special rules for academic labs that take into consideration the unique nature of university laboratory environments.

The new rules would be optional: Institutions could choose whether to be covered by the new performance-based regulations or to continue under the existing rules. An institution would be responsible for notifying EPA that it was opting to be covered by the revised rule.

The NPRM would allow institutions to deal with hazardous materials in a more effective and individualized manner, which would be detailed in a “laboratory management plan” developed by the institution. The plan would not need to be submitted to or approved by EPA but would be kept by the institution, which would be held accountable for managing operations accordingly.

Academic laboratories are defined as areas within a college or university where relatively small quantities of chemicals are used for teaching or research (including art studios but not photo processing facilities). University hospital laboratories would not be covered.

For more details on the NPRM, see NACUBO’s web site.

Comments on the rule are due Aug. 21.