Region 2
Serving New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Eight Tribal Nations.
Higher Education 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.
Spill Response Brochure
describes what to do when a hazardous substance is released to the environment, or an oil spill occurs, and how the National Response System is activated.
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.
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant.When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition activities, microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause significant health problems. Below you will fnd resources to help colleges & universities properly handle asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestos
Asbestos State Resource Locator
Environmental Health & Safety in the Arts: A Guide for K-12 Schools, Colleges and Artisans
was written specifically for art teachers and covers not only environmental compliance, but also best management practices applicable to the art department's' environmental concerns.
Art/Theater
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 colleges and universities properly manage their used batteries.
Lead-Acid Battery is a website developed by the National Environnmental Resource Center for Higher Education to help campuses properly handle lead-acid batteries to protect co-workers and the environment.
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).
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)
Boilers burn fuel to generate steam for space heating, hot water, and generating electric power. The environmental impact of boilers can arise from air emissions from fuel combustion, wastewater from cooling and cleaning, and solid waste from ash disposal. Thus, the Environmental Resource Center for Higher Education developed a website to help campuses learn more about the environmental laws, regulations and best practices associated with operating boilers in a power plant.
Who heard of a college or university that did not have at least one cafeteria and most have several scattered throughout the campus where students and faculty can grab a bite to eat. A very large quantity of food are stored, prepared, served, and disposed of on any given day. Some of the food is stored in refrigerators and freezers that may use ozone-depleting refrigerants and are significant energy users. The preparation of the food may generate used cooking oil that will need to be disposed of properly and the service of the food generates large amount of plastic eating utensils and paper products which are generally disposed of in the garbage. Below you will find resources to help cafeteries and dining establishments on college campuses comply with applicable environmental requirements and reduce their overall environmental footprint.
Cafeteria/Dining
Compliance Assistance for the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Service Industry is a website developed by EPA Region 2 to provide information on the proper servicing and disposal of air conditioners and refrigeration equipment that contain ozone-depleting refrigerants.
Food Waste is a website developed by EPA to provide information about economically, socially and environmentally beneficial food waste management.
Green Cafeterias is a website developed by EPA's Research Triangle Park to highlight the "greening" of their "Lakeside Café" which services over 1,550 employees. This cafe can serve as a model for all other facilities wishing to incorporate "green" principles into their dining establishments.
The Green Plan for the Food Service Industry
Across the world, concern grows about the impacts of climate change on our environment and health. Universities, dedicated as they are to education and research, are ideally suited to finding and demonstrating energy and global warming solutions. Below are resources to help campuses lead the way in addressing climate change.
Mandatory Greenhouse Gases Reporting Rule: Training for Colleges and Universities
Clean Air Cool Planet’s Campuses for Climate Action program
Accelerating Campus Climate Change Initiatives: Breaking Through Barriers
Cool Campus! A How-To Guide for College and University Climate Action Planning
For other climate change resources that are not specifically designed for colleges and universities but may still be helpful, please visit EPA Region 2's Climate Change Website.
The use of electronic products has grown substantially over the past two decades, changing the way and the speed in which we communicate and how we get information and entertainment. These days, almost every college dorm room contains a computer monitor or television--or both. And both contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which may be considered hazardous waste. Below you will find resources to help you safely manage and dispose of used electronics.
Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs)
Electronics Waste State Resource Locator
eCycling is a website developed by EPA to educate consumers and others on the safe handling, reuse, recycling, and disposal of electronic equipment.
Federal Electronics Challenge
Emergency Planning & Risk Management
Public awareness of the potential danger from accidental releases of hazardous substances has increased over the years as serious chemical accidents have occurred around the world. In response to this public concern and the hazards that exist, EPA has programs designed to (1) prevent and prepare for chemical emergencies, (2) respond to environmental crises, and (3) inform the public about chemical hazards in their community. Below are resources to help colleges and universities prevent, prepare for, and respond to accidents:
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Requirements is a website developed by EPA to improve compliance with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) which was created to help communities plan for emergencies involving hazardous substances. EPCRA has four major provisions: one deals with emergency planning and three deal with chemical reporting.
Emergency Management
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Resource Locator
Risk Management Plan Rule is a website developed by EPA to improve compliance with 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) which requires facilities that produce, handle, process, distribute, or store certain chemicals to develop a Risk Management Program, prepare a Risk Management Plan (RMP), and submit the RMP to EPA.
Computer Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) is a system of software applications used widely to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies. It is one of the tools developed by EPA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Response and Restoration (NOAA), to assist front-line chemical emergency planners and responders. They can use CAMEO to access, store, and evaluate information critical for developing emergency plans. In addition, CAMEO supports regulatory compliance by helping users meet the chemical inventory reporting requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
One of the primary environmental responsibilities of environmental, health, and safety officers at institutes for higher learning will be to determine whether or not any of the wastes generated by campuses (e.g. waste laboratory chemicals, waste lamps, used paints, used electronics, and used solvents) are hazardous as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Once that has been determined, the college needs to determine how much hazardous waste is generated per month because the storage, handling, training, and disposal requirements for hazardous waste vary based on the facility's monthly hazardous waste generation. Below you will find resources to help you identify hazardous waste, determine your facility's hazardous waste generator category, and comply with all applicable hazardous waste requirements.
Waste Management
RCRA On-line is doesigned to enable users to locate documents, including publications and other outreach materials, that cover a wide range of RCRA issues and topics.
RCRA/Hazardous Waste State Resource Locator
Laboratories activities can generate a wide variety of pollution, such as air emissions from laboratory hoods,wastewater discharges from sinks and floor drains; and hazardous, mixed, and biological waste from research and testing operations. Below are resources to help colleges and universities understand and comply with environmental regulations associated with their laboratory activities:
Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories
Environmental Virtual Campus: Labs
Labs
Federal Laboratory Integrated Strategy is a website developed by EPA Region 2 to showcase our efforts to improve environmental compliance within the Federal laboratory sector in New York, New Jersey and the Caribbean as well as to encourage the adoption of best management practices and pollution prevention opportunities.
Although laws now prevent lead from being used in many products, there can still be lead hazards in and around many older buildings such as in paints used in older houses before 1978 and lead solder used in plumbing. Renovations to older dormitories, for example, may generate paint waste that is considered hazardous and therefore subject to federal and state regulations. Scraping lead-based paint may also trigger requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as OSHA requirements for worker protection. In addition, even though college and university dormitories are not subject to the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)'s landlord/tenant requirements associated with lead, many students often live in off-campus apartments, where TSCA lead requirements may apply. Of course, if you have child care facilities on campus, TSCA does apply. Below you will find resources to
Lead Paint
EPA's Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil Website provides information about EPA regulations and policy guidance on lead abatement, cleanup, risk assessment, and remodeling and renovations.
The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead hazards and their prevention. NLIC operates under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with funding from EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Call and speak with a specialist Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm eastern time (except Federal holidays) at 1(800) 424-LEAD [5323].
Joint EPA/HUD Renovation Training Curriculum was developed jointly by EPA and HUD in 2003 to instruct renovators, painters, and maintenance personnel how to work safely in homes with lead-based paint. This course is approved by HUD, in accordance with the Lead-Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR Part 35), for training contractors working in federally owned or assisted housing.
Renovation and Remodeling Model Training Course was developed by EPA in 2000 to teach how to contain and minimize lead dust and clean-up work areas in order to protect occupants from exposure to lead.
Lead Paint Abatement Resource Locator
As a college or university employee, you will likely come across mercury-containing items on campus such as thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs, cylindrical batteries made before 1990, button batteries (like the ones you have in your calculator or watch), and even some topical disinfectants, detergents and contact lens solutions contain mercury . When products containing mercury are thrown carelessly into the trash, outdoors or down drains, that mercury has the potential to wind up in water bodies. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. It has been demonstrated that high levels of methylmercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system, making the child less able to think and learn which is why EPA works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and with states and tribes to issue advice to women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and parents of young children about how often they should eat certain types of commercially-caught fish and shellfish. Fish advisories are also issued for men, women, and children of all ages when appropriate. Below you will find resources to help colleges and universities reduce their use of mercury, how to handle mercury spills, as well as properly dispose and treat mercury-containing waste:
Mercury
Mercury State Resources Tool
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) belong to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. Although no longer commercially produced in the United States, PCBs may be present in products and materials produced before the 1979 PCB ban (e.g. transformers and capacitors, voltage regulators, cable insulation; thermal insulation material; adhesives and tapes; oil-based paint; and caulking). Thus, PCBs can still be released into the environment from illegal or improper dumping of PCB wastes; leaks or releases from electrical transformers containing PCBs; disposal of PCB-containing consumer products into municipal or other landfills not designed to handle hazardous waste as well as the burning of some wastes in municipal and industrial incinerators. PCBs can accumulate in the leaves and above-ground parts of plants and food crops and are also taken up into the bodies of small organisms and fish. As a result, people who ingest fish may be exposed to PCBs that have bioaccumulated in the fish they are ingesting. PCBs have been demonstrated to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Below you will find resources, to help your facility properly manage and dispose of PCB-containing equipment.
PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) is the general website developed by EPA to help the regulated community and general public learn about PCBs as they are managed under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the PCB regulations found at 40 CFR 761. The site focuses on the management, cleanup and disposal of PCB wastes and the management of PCB-containing materials and equipment still in use.
PCB in Caulk in Older Buildings is a website developed by EPA to provide a series of steps that building owners and school administrators should take to reduce exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs that may be found in caulk in many buildings constructed or renovated between 1950 and 1978.
Colleges and Universities commonly use pesticides to prevent, destroy, repell, or mitigate pests such as insects, rodents, weeds, fungi, bacteria and viruses. By their very nature, all pesticides contain some risk of harm. Thus, EPA and the states register or license pesticides for use in the United States. These registrations are very specific and generally allows use of the product only as specified on the label. For pesticides that may cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment, including injury to the applicator, EPA may require that the pesticide be applied either by, or under the direct supervision of, a certified applicator. Below are resources to help institutions of higher education comply with the Federal, State and local regulations governing pesticides:
Pesticides is a website developed by EPA Region 2 to ensure the proper use of pesticides.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Compliance Assistance is a website developed by EPA to provide information on the regulation of pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). It also provides assistance to the regulated community in finding cost-effective ways to comply with regulations. Links to pesticide-related environmental compliance assistance materials, compliance monitoring and enforcement information - such as documents, tools, information, and other related web sites - are provided.
Pesticides Best Practices
State Programs is a website developed by EPA to provide facilities with a list of pesticide state lead agencies.
It goes without saying that institutions of higher education, as the breeding ground for the next generation of world leaders, should be at the forefront of environmental protection. Compliance with environmental requirements should be the baseline with sustainability the goal. Below you will find websites and other tools to help you reach this laudable goal:
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
GreenReportCard.org
Campus Ecology
Second Nature
Campus Green Builder
Stormwater carries away dirt and debris, oil from parking lots, lawn chemicals, pesticides, and other pollutants. To minimize the effect of these pollutants on our waterways, under the authority of the Clean Water Act, EPA has promulgated stormwater regulations. These regulations may apply to colleges and universities if they are constructing new facilities or expanding existing ones whereby they are disturbing more than one acre of land. Also, some institutions of higher learning may meet the definition of a small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) and be subject to storm water regulations if the facility is located in an urban area; is owned or operated by a state, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or other public body; and have a system of stormwater conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains). Below you find resources to help campuses comply with Federal, State, and local storm water requirements.
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
Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center (CICA)
Stormwater Resource Locator
Stormwater Training Resource Locator
Many college campuses store diesel for emergency generators and heating oil in underground storage tanks (UST). Others may have vehicle maintenance facilities that store diesel and gasoline for fueling emergency vehicles. 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.
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.
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.
State and Territory UST/LUST Program Status and Contacts is a website developed by EPA to provide information on whether or not a State or Territory's underground and leaking underground storage tank programs have been approved by EPA and who the state contacts are.
Discharges of untreated wastewater can have a significant impact on the quality of both surface water and groundwater. A typical college and university has a wide variety of wastewater sources, such as lavatories, sinks, and showers, laboratories, photo processing labs, washing machines and dish washers, boilers, and maintenance shops. An institution of higher education will fall under one of two sets of regulations, depending on where the water goes next. Facilities that discharge their wastewater to a municipal sewer system are referred to as indirect dischargers, while those that discharge directly to streams or rivers are considered direct dischargers. The vast majority of educational facilities are indirect dischargers. Such facilities are subject to regulations by their local sewer authority. Direct dischargers, on the other hand, must meet national discharge standards, which are numerical limitations for certain specific pollutants and therefore, must obtain a permit from their state environmental agency or EPA (depending on the status of the state agency) and install a complex wastewater treatment plant. Also, educational facilities should know whether or not their floor and other drains are connected to a shallow injection well such as a septic system or dry well since they would need to comply with the underground injection control requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Below you will find resources to help college campuses comply with Federal, State, and local wastewater requirements.
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
EPA's Underground Injection Control Program is a website developed by EPA to provides information for owners and operators of injection wells and state regulators on how to safely operate injection wells to prevent contamination of underground drinking water resources.