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Auto Repair Compliance Assistance Tools
If you store more than 1,320 gallons of oil above ground in containers and/or tanks with a capacity of 55 gallons or greater, you are required under the Clean Water Act to prepare and implement spill prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC) plans. Below you will find resources to help you comply with the requirement.
SPCC Automotive Repair Checklist
- This is the section of the Consolidated Screening Checklist for Automotive Repair Facilities Guidebook developed by EPA that concerns the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Requirements under the Clean Water Act.
Spill Response Brochure
SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors was developed by EPA to assist regional inspectors in implementing the SPCC program and in understanding its applicability. The document is also available as a guide to owners and operators of facilities that may be subject to the requirements of the SPCC rule and the general public on how EPA intends the SPCC rule to be implemented.
Cleaning up spills and releases of chemicals and petroleum products generally involves the use of materials such as kitty litter type substances (known as "quick dry," "speedi dry," or "oil dry"), clay absorbent, pads, pillows, booms, towels, and other such absorbent materials. Sawdust is also sometimes used as an absorbent. Used absorbents, therefore, may be subject to the hazardous waste requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act if: (1) they are contaminated with a hazardous material (e.g., solvents or gasoline), or (2) they exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic such as ignitability, reactivity, toxicity or corrosivity. Below you will find resources to help you manage your absorbants properly as well as reduce the use of absorbants.
Absorbants Automotive Repair Checklist
Absorbant Fact Sheet is maintained by CCAR-Greenlink, the national automotive environmental assistance center and provides suggestions on managing absorbants.
Floor Cleanup is a best management practice fact sheet developed by EPA Region 9 for the auto repair sector concerning cleaning shop floors and contains information on using absorbants wisely.
Antifreeze is a substance added to a solvent, such as water, to lower its freezing point. Antifreeze is typically added to water in the cooling system of an internal-combustion engine so that it can be cooled below the freezing point of pure water (32 degrees F) without freezing. Ethylene glycol is the most widely used automotive cooling-system antifreeze, although methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and propylene glycol are also used. Antifreeze is toxic to humans and animals. Waste antifreeze contains heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and chromium in high enough levels to potentially make it a regulated hazardous waste, so most states strictly regulate antifreeze disposal. Antifreeze generators and state and local programs should not dump spent antifreeze on land or discharge it into a sanitary sewer, storm drain, ditch, dry well, or septic system; dumping antifreeze can cause serious water quality problems and might harm people, pets, or wildlife. Below are resources to help owners and operators properly manage their used antifreeze.
Used Antifreeze Automotive Repair Checklist
How do I Dispose of Used Antifreeze
Antifreeze is a website maintained by EPA to provide businesses information regarding antifreeze and the recycling of used antifreeze.
Antifreeze Recycling is a best management practice fact sheet developed by EPA Region 9 for the auto repair sector.
The Recycler's World Coolants and Refrigerant Section
When you need a portable, convenient power source, you can rely on batteries. However, batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of and may be regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as hazardous waste. Also, when incinerated, certain metals might be released into the air or can concentrate in the ash produced by the combustion process. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators of auto repair shops properly manage their used batteries.
Used Batteries Automotive Repair Checklist
Batteries is a website maintained by EPA to provide businesses information regarding regulations concerning the disposal, storage, and recycling of batteries
Universal Waste Battery Website - Waste batteries that are classified as hazardous waste can be collected under the streamlined collection standards for universal waste. These universal waste standards were created in an attempt to make it easier to collect the waste batteries and send them for recycling (or proper treatment and disposal).
Implementation of the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act is a brochure published by EPA to explain what the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act means to you. It equips readers with the “basics” on the Battery Act and provides information on successful recycling programs for rechargeable batteries.
Product Stewardship Battery Website was developed by EPA describes how manufacturers, retailers, governments, and local communities are finding solutions to reduce battery waste and manage batteries at their end of life.
Recycler’s World Battery Recycling Section
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)
Some automotive brakes contain asbestos and automotive technicians, therefore, may be exposed to asbestos dust when they repair them. Continued exposure to this dust can increase the amount of abestos fibers deposited in the lung. Fibers embedded in the lung tissue over time may result in lung diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma. Moreover, if the automotive shop uses a solvent to clean the brake system, the used solvent may be a hazardous waste because of the flammable characteristic and thereby, regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators of auto repair shops reduce their exposure to hazardous air pollutants when repairing brakes as well as dispose of brakes and their cleaning solutions properly.
Brakes Automotive Repair Checklist
Current Best Practices for Preventing Asbestos Exposure Among Brake and Clutch Repair Workers is a website maintained by EPA to provide the most current information for automotive professionals and home mechanics on preventing exposure to brake and clutch dust that may contain asbestos fibers
Asbestos Automotive Brake and Clutch Repair Work Safety and Health Information Bulletin
Aqueous Brake Washers is a best management practice fact sheet produced by EPA Region 9 describing the benefits of using water-based cleaning solutions to wash brakes before inspection and repair.
Catalytic converters provide a huge emission reduction on most automobiles. A good catalytic converter can reduce NOx emissions from 2000 ppm to 20 ppm and in turn reduce smog in urban areas. Thus, it is very important that automotive technicians make sure that the closely follow requirements under the Clean Air Act as well as recommended practices by automobile manufacturers to ensure the proper functioning of these converters.
Catalytic Converters Automotive Repair Checklist
What You Should Know About Using, Installing, Or Buying Aftermarket Catalytic Converters is a fact sheet prepared by the EPA to explain the aftermarket converter policy and to answer questions you are likely to have.
The Emission and Oil Connection
Collision Repair Shops generate various types of waste such as used absorbants, waste antifreeze, brake fluids, used paints, paint booth filters, and paint solvents/thinners, used fluorescent lamps, used batteries, used part washer solvents, used shop towels/rags, scrap metal, used oil, and used tires. Many of which may be considered hazardous. Also, collison repair shops have the potential to generate air pollutants that may impact human health and the environment if they are not controlled properly, including volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants, and dust. This is especially true if your shop performs refinishing operations such as painting and sanding. Moreover, discharges of untreated wastewater or contaminated stormwater can have a significant impact on the quality of both surface water and groundwater, especially if floor drains are connected to shallow injection wells such as septic systems or dry wells. Below are resources specifically designed to help owners and operators of collision repair shops to comply with applicable environmnetal requirements and reduce their overall environmental impact.
EPA's Collision Repair Campaign is a two year campaign to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts on employees and surrounding communities by reducing hazardous air pollutants, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter emissions from auto body shops; to provide training, technical assistance, and outreach to local communities and shop owners about established best management and pollution prevention practices and to provide information about and encourage early compliance with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations.
Virtual Collision Repair Shop
Environmental Compliance Guide for Auto Body Shops
Autobody Shops
Automotive Refinishing Project - EPA's Design for the Environmental Program is working with the auto body/refinishing (collision repair) industry and career/technical schools to increase awareness of the health and environmental concerns associated with refinishing activities and to encourage the use of safer, cleaner, more efficient practices and technologies.
Auto Refinish Project Best Practices Kit was developed by EPA's Design for the Environmental Program and includes best practices for auto refinishing operations.
A Self-Evaluation Checklist of Best Practices for Auto Refinish Shops and Schools was developed by EPA to help you evaluate current practices and technologies in your facility and identify areas where you should make improvements to protect your workers (or students) and surrounding communities from isocyanates and other hazardous air pollutants generated during refinish activities. The checklist covers five key operations: surface preparation, paint mixing, spray painting, spray gun cleaning, and health and safety management.
Air Pollution Control Requirements for Automotive Refinishing is a fact sheet developed by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation in 2008 on how to comply with the New York State regulations for auto body shops performing spray painting.
Automotive Refinishing Self-Inspection Handbook was developed by New York State's Environmental Facilities Corporation to help businesses involved in motor vehicle refinishingis understand and follow the air pollution laws in New York State.
Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations Brochure was published by EPA in 2008 to help auto body and repair shops involved in paint stripping and surface coating comply with the new emissions standard for hazardous air pollutants.
Initial Notification Form for the Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Rule. It is also available in a Fillable Word Version.
Sprayitright.com
During normal vehicle repair and maintenance, fluids such as engine oil or solvents may drip or spill into floor drains. Thus, it is imperative that owners and operators know whether or not these floor drains are connected to a municipal sewer; a storm water system; a shallow injection well such as a septic system or dry well; a holding tank whose contents are later disposed of off-site; or an interior drain that discharges waste water directly to the environment. Your answer will determine which of the many federal, state, or local waste water regulations under the Clean Water Act or Safe Drinking Water Act you are subject to. Below are resources to help owners and operators manage their waste water from floor drains properly.
WasteWater and Storm Water Management Automotive Repair Checklist
Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells is a website maintained by EPA to help you determine whether you have a motor vehicle waste disposal well, understand why these wells are regulated, learn how to comply with requirements for these wells, and find other options for managing motor vehicle wastewater.
Small Entity Compliance Guide: How the New Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Well Rule Affects Your Business is a guide published by EPA in 2000 which is divided into nine question and answer sections to help auto repair shops figure out if they have a motor vehicle waste disposal well; find out if they are affected by EPA’s new rule; understand how to comply with the rule if they are affected; find additional sources of useful information and Underground Injection Control
(UIC) Program contacts; pick up tips on best management practices that may save them money and reduce their record keeping requirements, and a glossary of terms.Oil/Water Separators is a fact sheet published by EPA Region 9 and discusses the basic operation of oil/water separators (OWS) in handling vehicle and floor wash water, and techniques to improve OWS performance and reduce costs and liabilities.
While gasoline offers a great advantage to us by powering our cars and buses, it has some drawbacks too. Gasoline is composed of over 200 different chemicals, but there are four that are toxic to humans – benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene. When people pump gasoline into their cars, the vapors escape into the atmosphere and can get into people’s lungs when they breathe and also be deposited on their skin. Gasoline also evaporates very quickly and pollutes the atmosphere. Certain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (such as benzene) react with sunlight and form smog in urban areas. Moreover, spills of gasoline can contaminate our drinking water supplies. A spill of one gallon of gasoline can render one million gallons of water undrinkable. Finally, gasoline is flammable. A spark can ignite gasoline vapors. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators manage their fueling operations in such a way as to miminize its harmful effects, including the installation of vapor recovery systems which is required for certain areas or gas stations with high monthly throughput under the Clean Air Act.
Fueling/Gas Stations Automotive Repair Checklist
Gasoline Dispensing Facilities Brochure was issued by EPA in 2008 to help gasoline dispensing facilities understand and comply with the new national emissions standard for hazardous air pollutants.
Gasoline Stations- Stage I
Gasoline Stations - Stage II
Self-Inspection Handbook for Stage I and Stage II Vapor Recovery for Gasoline facilities in New York State was developed by New York State's Environmental Facilities Corporation to help gasoline facilities know what the vapor recovery regulations are and how they can benefit from compliance.
If you store your gasoline in underground storage tanks (UST), see UST section below. If you store your gasoline in above ground tanks (AST), see AST section above.
One of the primary environmental responsibilities of owners and operators of auto repair shops is to determine whether or not any of the wastes they generate (e.g. used solvents, used batteries, used paint, used absorbants, used lamps) are hazardous as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Once that has been determined, the shop needs to determine how much hazadous waste is generated per month because the storage, handling, training, and disposal requirements for hazardous waste vary based on a shop's monthly hazardous waste generation. Below you will find resources to help you identify hazardous waste, determine your shop's hazardous waste generator category, and comply with all applicable hazardous waste requirements.
Managing Your Hazardous Waste: A Guide for Small Businesses is a user-friendly manual which was updated in December 2001 to help small businesses determine whether they generate hazardous waste and to provide comprehensive information on how to comply with the federal hazardous waste regulations for small quantity generators. It explains how to obtain an EPA identification number, manage hazardous waste on site, ship hazardous waste off site, comply with land disposal restrictions, and conduct good housekeeping. The manual is also available en Español .
EPA Hazardous Waste Codes for Waste Streams Commonly Generated by Small Quantity Generators is a helpful chart for small quantity generators to determine which of their wastes, if any, are hazardous, and to determine the EPA waste codes associated with each waste. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of all waste codes and waste streams that small businesses could generate. Except for the pesticide and wood preserving categories, this list does not include waste codes for commercial chemical products that are hazardous when discarded unused. These wastes, as well as all others not listed here, can be found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Part 261. This chart which will require 11" by 17" paper to print is also available en Español .
RCRA in Focus: Vehicle Maintenance provides an overview of the basic federal regulations covering wastes that are likely to be hazardous in vehicle maintenance shops. It also provides recycling and pollution prevention options to help businesses decrease the amount of hazardous waste they produce. The pamphlet is also available en Español .
If you conduct spray painting operations, a hazardous waste determination must be made on waste paint, solvents/thinners, paint sludge, primer waste, and spray booth filters. The paints and paint sludges may be hazardous if they contain heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead and chromium. The solvents may be characteristically hazardous due to their ignitability or they could be a listed hazardous waste. Also, many primers, lacquers, and enamels are flammable. Furthermore, during spray painting operations, volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants are released into the environment. These pollutants are regulated under the Clean Air Act. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators of auto repair shops understand and comply with federal, state, and local regulations concerning painting operations as well as "green" practices to reduce your wastes and emissions from spray painting.
Painting Automotive Repair Checklist
Virtual Spray Booth
Spray Booth Filters is a fact sheet developed by EPA's Design for the Environmental Program which highlights key factors regarding the need to use and maintain paint booth filters to achieve a quality job and protect the painter, others in the shop, and the environment.
Virtual Paint Mixing Room
Paints and Coatings Resource Center
Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations Brochure was published by EPA in 2008 to help auto body and repair shops involved in paint stripping and surface coating comply with the new emissions standard for hazardous air pollutants.
Initial Notification Form for the Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Rule. It is also available in a Fillable Word Version.
Sprayitright.com
EPA's Collision Repair Campaign is a two year campaign to reduce environmental pollution from auto body shops which, among other things, is providing information about and encouraging early compliance with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations.
Automotive Refinishing Project - EPA's Design for the Environmental Program is working with the auto body/refinishing (collision repair) industry and career/technical schools to increase awareness of the health and environmental concerns associated with refinishing activities and to encourage the use of safer, cleaner, more efficient practices and technologies.
Auto Refinish Project Best Practices Kit was developed by EPA's Design for the Environmental Program and includes best practices for paint mixing, spray painting, and spray gun cleaning.
A Self-Evaluation Checklist of Best Practices for Auto Refinish Shops and Schools was developed by EPA to help you evaluate current practices and technologies in your facility and identify areas where you should make improvements to protect your workers (or students) and surrounding communities from isocyanates and other hazardous air pollutants generated during refinish activities. The checklist covers five key operations: surface preparation, paint mixing, spray painting, spray gun cleaning, and health and safety management.
Air Pollution Control Requirements for Automotive Refinishing is a fact sheet developed by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation in 2008 on how to comply with the New York State regulations for auto body shops performing spray painting.
Automotive Refinishing Self-Inspection Handbook was developed by New York State's Environmental Facilities Corporation to help businesses involved in motor vehicle refinishing is understand and follow the air pollution laws in New York State.
Spent solvents are the largest hazardous waste stream created by the automotive industry. Spent solvents are dangerous to workers because they are toxic and they emit harmful vapors. If your shop still uses a parts washing system that contains a hazardous solvent, you may be generating listed hazardous wastes which will have EPA Hazardous Waste Codes of F001-F005. In addition, many solvents may be hazardous because of ignitability which will have an EPA Hazardous Waste Code of D001. When using hazardous solvents in your parts washing system, you are required to keep track of the amount of spent solvent generated each month and dispose of them as hazardous waste. In addition to complying with hazardous waste requirements, if your parts washing system uses any solvent containing methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, or chloroform, or any combination of these halogenated hazardous air pollutant solvents in a total concentration greater than 5 percent by weight as a cleaning and/or drying agent you are subject to a national hazardous air pollutant emissions standard under the Clean Air Act. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators comply with Federal, State, and local requirements related to parts cleaning as well as ways "green" practices to reduce or eliminate your generation of hazardous solvents.
Equipment Cleaning and Spent Solvents Automotive Repair Checklist
Guidance Document for the Halogenated Solvent Cleaner National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants was developed by EPA to give owners and operators of solvent cleaning machines the information required to determine whether the halogenated solvent cleaning regulation applies to them, and the options available to comply.
Metal Degreasing
Aqueous Parts Cleaning is a best management practice fact sheet produced by EPA Region 9 describing the benefits of using water-based cleaning solutions to wash parts.
Case Studies in Aqueous Parts Cleaning was compiled by EPA Region 9 and featured shops in California who successfully switched from solvent to aqueous (water-based) parts cleaning. These case studies prove that aqueous cleaners are capable of meeting or exceeding the many parts cleaning challenges encountered in a wide variety of auto repair operations.
Industrial rags (also known as shop towels) or soiled clothing, which are contaminated with listed or characteristic hazardous wastes may have to be managed as hazardous wastes. Below are resources to help owners and operators of auto repair shops manage their used shop rags/towels properly and comply with Federal, State, and local regulations.
Used Shop Rags/Towels Automotive Repair Checklist
Solvent-Contaminated Industrial Wipes is a website maintained by EPA concerning their proposal to modify its hazardous waste management regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for certain solvent-contaminated materials, such as reusable shop towels, rags, disposable wipes and paper towels. Specifically, EPA is proposing: to conditionally exclude from the definition of hazardous waste disposable industrial wipes that are contaminated with hazardous solvents and are going to disposal; and, to conditionally exclude from the definition of solid waste reusable industrial shop towels and rags that are contaminated with hazardous solvents and are sent for laundering or dry cleaning (hereinafter referred to as disposable industrial wipes and reusable industrial wipes, respectively).
If you conduct any of your auto repair and/or auto body activities outside such as washing, fueling, painting, changing oil, or dismantling vehicles and/or store materials outside, the storm water contacting these outdoor areas can carry pollutants such such as oils, solvents, and heavy metals directly into streams or other surface waters, killing aquatic life and polluting areas where people swim, fish and boat. Below you find resources to help you comply with Federal, State, and local storm water requirements.
WasteWater and Storm Water Management Automotive Repair Checklist
Stormwater Program is a website maintained by EPA that contains technical and regulatory information about the national stormwater program. It is organized according to the three types of regulated stormwater discharges – municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities. It also provides links to general stormwater topics and tools available.
Stormwater
Stormwater and Non-Point Source Pollution
A tire's physical structure, durability, and heat-retaining characteristics make stockpiles of tires a potential threat to human health and the environment. The curved shape of a tire allows rainwater to collect and creates an ideal habitat for rodents and mosquitoes. Also, prone to heat retention, tires in stockpiles also can ignite, creating tire fires that are difficult to extinguish and can burn for months, generating unhealthy smoke and toxic oils. Illegal tire dumping pollutes ravines, woods, deserts, and empty lots. For these reasons, most states have passed scrap tire regulations requiring proper management.
Tires Automotive Repair Checklist
Scrap Tires is a website maintained by EPA to provide businesses information regarding regulations concerning the disposal, storage, and recycling of scrap tires.
State Scrap Tire Programs - A Quick Reference Guide: 1999 Update August 1999 [Note: Because this report is several years old, several state contacts will be out-of-date] This guide summarizes each state's scrap tire management legislation and programs in a matrix for each state program. It provides state regulators, as well as members of industry, with a quick reference on state scrap tire programs across the country.
Many gasoline stations store their diesel and gasoline in underground storage tanks. Releases of fuel from these tanks - from spills, overfills, or leakinig tanks and piping - can cause fires or explosions that threaten human safety as well as contaminate the groundwater than many of us depend on for the water we drink. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators of USTs comply with the Federal, State, and local regulations aimed at preventing, and detecting releases as well as prompty correcting the problems created by the releases that do occur.
Underground Storage Tanks Automotive Repair Checklist
Musts For USTs: A Summary Of The Federal Regulations For Underground Storage Tank Systems is a 40-page booklet published by EPA in July 1995 to summarize federal UST requirements for installation, release detection, spill, overfill, and corrosion protection, corrective action, closure, reporting and recordkeeping. Although parts of the booklet were written to prepare people for the 1998 deadline, the information in the booklet still applies today.
Operating And Maintaining Underground Storage Tank Systems: Practical Help And Checklists is a manual published by EPA in September 2005 and contains brief summaries of the federal UST requirements for operation and maintenance (O&M), as well as practical help that goes beyond the requirements. Checklists prompt the user to look closely at what kinds of equipment are in use and how to keep that equipment working properly over the lifetime of the UST system. The manual provides recordkeeping forms that also help the UST owner and operator keep equipment operating properly. Owners and operators of UST systems will find this manual contains checklists and information that will help them properly operate and maintain their USTs.
Straight Talk On Tanks: Leak Detection Methods For Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks And Piping is a booklet published by EPA in September 2005 to provide easy-to-understand descriptions of several leak detection methods for tanks and piping, as well as explanations of the regulatory requirements for leak detection. Leak detection methods include: secondary containment with interstitial monitoring, automatic tank gauging, vapor monitoring, groundwater monitoring, statistical inventory control, tank tightness testing with inventory control, and manual tank gauging.
Automatic Tank Gauging Systems For Release Detection: Reference Manual For Underground Storage Tank Inspectors was issued by EPA in 2000 to help State and EPA inspectors of underground storage tanks (USTs) evaluate how well UST owners and operators are using their automatic tank gauging (ATG) systems to comply with release detection requirements. Also, the manual provides handouts that UST inspectors can distribute to UST owners and operators to help them understand the proper operation and maintenance of their ATG systems. In its 140-pages, the manual contains a summary of specifications, based on third-party evaluations, for ATG systems that detect leaks from USTs and their piping. Each summary provides information such as certified detectable leak rate/threshold, test period duration, product applicability, calibration requirements, restrictions on the use of the device, vendor contact information, printing and interpreting reports, and sample reports.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Automatic Tank Gauging System is a tri-fold leaflet published by EPA in March 1998 to provide UST owners and operators with a basic checklist they can use to make sure their automatic tank gauging systems work effectively. As a compliance assistance tool, the leaflet focuses on what actions the UST owner and operator must take to comply with leak detection requirements and prevent significant cleanup problems.
Closing Underground Storage Tanks: Brief Facts is a 2-page, tri-fold flyer issued by EPA in July 1996 to present basic information about proper UST system closure.
UST Systems: Inspecting And Maintaining Sumps And Spill Buckets - Practical Help And Checklist is a 16-page manual published by EPA in May 2005 to present underground storage tank (UST) system owners and operators with recommended inspection guidelines and best management practices for their UST system sumps and spill buckets. The manual will: help owners identify and inspect the sumps and spill buckets associated with their UST systems; explain some simple steps owners can take to maintain their sumps and spill buckets and identify potential problems; and provide owners with tips for fixing common problems before they cause a release of petroleum products to the environment. The manual includes safety considerations; a general introduction to the kinds of sumps; basic maintenance procedures for sumps and spill buckets; and a sump and spill bucket inspection checklist.
Used Oil if managed improperly can potentially contaminate drinking water. In fact, used oil from one oil change can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water - a years' supply for 50 people! Moreover, used oil may be considered hazardous waste depending on how it is disposed of or mixed with other wastes. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators properly manage their used oil and filters.
Used Oil Automotive Repair Checklist
Used Filters Automotive Repair Checklist
Managing Used Oil: Advice for Small Businesses is a fact sheet developed by EPA which contains valuable information for businesses such as service stations, fleet maintenance facilities, and "quick lube" shops that generate and handle used oil. It summarizes the EPA's used oil management standards--a set of "good housekeeping" requirements for used oil handlers. It is also available en Español .
Used Oil Management Program is a website maintained by EPA to provide businesses information regarding regulations concerning the disposal, storage, and recycling of used oil.
"You Dump It, You Drink It" Campaign focuses on the proper management of used motor oil and includes a variety of free, printed information materials that are available in both Spanish and English.
What are the used oil mixing requirements?
What should I do with used oil filters?
Are there cost-effective uses of used oil?
Discharges of untreated wastewater can have a significant impact on the quality of both surface water and groundwater. Discharges from auto body and repair shops are a concern because they may contain pollutants from sanding and paint wastes, solvents, parts washers, automotive fluids, vehicle wash water and other materials. Below you will find resources to help owners and operators comply with Federal, State, and local wastewater requirements.
WasteWater and Storm Water Management Automotive Repair Checklist
Industrial and Commercial Facilities is a website maintained by EPA to provide information to businesses on the federal permitting requirements for waste water discharges from industrial sources
Oil/Water Separators is a fact sheet published by EPA Region 9 and discusses the basic operation of oil/water separators (OWS) in handling vehicle and floor wash water, and techniques to improve OWS performance and reduce costs and liabilities.