Region 2
Serving New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Eight Tribal Nations.
Healthcare 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 healthcare facilities properly handle asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestosis a website developed by the healthcare environmental resources center to help healthcare facilities properly handle asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestos State Resource Locator is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities find an OSHA or environmental state contact that can help with health and safety or disposal issues regarding asbestos removal from construction activities.
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.
Managing Universal Waste is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center, the national healthcare compliance assistance center, to help healthcare facilities properly manage universal waste such as batteries.
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 [735 KB, 21 pp] 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 consists of several key categories (e.g., lead acid batteries, nickel content batteries) along with a list of companies, associations, and publications related to the battery recycling industry in general.
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is a nonprofit, public service organization funded by rechargeable product and battery manufacturers that educates manufacturers, retailers, and consumers about the benefits of rechargeable battery recycling.
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 Healthcare Environmental Resource Center developed a website to describes the potential impacts, the rules that have been developed to deal with the impacts, and the associated compliance requirements related to boilers.
Dental offices generate relatively small quantities of hazardous waste but even small amounts if disposed improperly can cause environmental and health concerns. Wastes of particular concern include mercury from amalgam fillings; silver from x-ray
film and fixer; chromium in x-ray system cleaners; and lead shields, bitewings, and foils from x-rays. Below you will find resources to help dental offices comply with federal and state regulations as well as reduce their overall environmental footprint:
Doing our Part [2 MB, 1 pg] is a poster developed by the Northeast Waste Management Association via a grant from EPA to help dental offices in New York collect, manage, and recycle all amalgam waste to protect the public and the environment.
Best Management Practices for Amalgam Waste [1 MB, 1 pg] is a poster developed by the Northeast Waste Management Association via a grant from EPA to help dental offices in New Jersey collect, manage, and recycle amalgam waste to protect the public and the environment.
Best Management Practices for Common Dental Wastes is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center.
Mercury Dental Topic Hub is a web-based guide to resources specific to dental mercury developed by the Northeast Waste Management Association.
The Environmentally Responsible Dental Office: A Guide to Proper Waste Management in Dental Offices was produced by the Northeast Resource Center of the National Wildlife Federation and the Vermont State Dental Society in June 1999 to give dentists, dental assistants, and office staff simple ideas for changes that can go a long way in preventing the release of mercury and other potentially harmful contaminants to our nation’s streams, lakes and rivers
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 healthcare facilities 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.
Healthcare Environmental Resource Center has developed their own website to help healthcare facilities understand and comply with EPCRA.
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Resource Locator is a website developed by the by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities find state-specific TRI reporting requirements such as state rules, where to send your complete reports, how to obtain forms, and state and federal guidance resources.
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.
List of Lists [800 KB, 105 pp] is a consolidated list of chemicals subject to EPCRA and CAA Section 112(r) used to help facilities handling chemicals determine whether they need to submit reports for a specific chemical, and what reports need to be submitted.
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 healthcare facilities will be to determine whether or not any of the wastes generated by medical facilities (e.g. expired pharmaceuticals, waste chemotherapy agents, waste laboratory chemicals and used solvents) are hazardous as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Once that has been determined, the medical facility 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 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.
Hazardous Waste is a website specifically designed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center to help healthcare facilities properly identify, manage, and dispose of hazardous wastes.
Managing Your Hazardous Waste: A Guide for Small Businesses [1 MB, 31 pp] 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 [12 MB, 33 pp].
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 is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities find hazardous waste and RCRA compliance resources on state websites. One will find general information, fact sheets, permit forms and guidance, contact information and other helpful resources and tools.
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 healthcare facilities understand and comply with environmental regulations associated with their laboratory activities:
Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories was issued by EPA in 2000 to help small labs better understand their responsibility for good environmental management. Its purpose is to improve environmental performance by assisting in the development and implementation of environmental management programs that meet important Federal regulatory requirements and prevent pollution. It is important to understand that for small lab environmental programs to be fully responsive, the information provided here must be supplemented by information contained in state, tribal or local regulations and by good management practices. This Guide is designed to be a good starting source.
Environmental Virtual Campus: Labs was a website developed by the Massachusett's Institute of Technology to help colleges and universities improve the environmental footrprint of their laboratories. The website discusses the federal environmental regulations that might commonly apply to labs. In addition, "best practices" are included that cover additional (non-regulated) practices. In some cases the "best practices" and regulatory requirements overlap.
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. Lead in these older buildings can get into the air, water, food, soil, and even dust and then can be breathed or swallowed leading to serious health problems, especially for young children. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk because their bodies are still developing. A young child's exposure to lead can cause learning and behavioral problems and possibly damage their brains, kidneys, and other organs. As a result, EPA under the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA) implemented regulations aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Below are resources to help healthcare facilities comply with these lead requirements.
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].
Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home [686 KB, 17 pp] was published by EPA, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2003 and is required to be provided to prospective buyers and renters of pre-1978 homes, and residents of homes where renovations will take place. Also available in Spanish and other formats.
EPA Takes Enforcement Actions Against Violations Of Lead Paint Disclosure Rule [55 KB, 2 pp] is an enforcement alert issued by EPA in 1998 informing the regulated community of the first penalties against faciliites for failing to disclose to their tenants information on lead-based paint as required by the Real Estate Notification and Disclosure Rule (“Disclosure Rule”), issued under the Residential Lead Based-Paint Hazard Reduction Act.
Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right [2 MB, 34 pp] is a handbook for contractors, property managers, and maintenance personnel that perform activities that disturb painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978. The handbook summarizes requirements of EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule, aimed at protecting against lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. The rule requires workers to be trained to use lead-safe work practices and requires renovation firms to be EPA-certified; these requirements will become effective April 22, 2010.
Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools [1.6 MB, 19 pp] is a pamplet published by EPA to provide families with basic facts about lead and information about lead safety when work is being done in your home, your building or the childcare facility or school your children attend. This pamplet is also available En Español [1.5 MB, 19 pp]. Federal law requires that individuals receive this pamphlet before renovating six square feet or more of painted surfaces in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet of painted surfaces for exterior projects in housing, child care facilities and schools built before 1978. Contractors can use this pre-renovation disclosure form [42 KB, 1 pg] to document that this was done.
Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation [635 KB, 2 pp] is a pamplet published in EPA in 2008 to provide contractors performing work that disturbs lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 information on lead-safe work practices as well as the new rules for contractors. This pamplet is also available en Español [340 KB, 2 pp].
Future Sample Renovation Recordkeeping Checklist [58 KB, 1 pg] was developed by EPA to help contractors peforming work that disturbs lead-based paint to comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that will take effect in April 2010.
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 is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities find their state's rules covering lead in construction issues, and learn about training and certification programs offered by their state, or by federal agencies.
Regulated medical waste (RMW), also known as ‘biohazardous’ waste or 'infectious medical’ waste, is the portion of the waste stream that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials, thus posing a significant risk of transmitting infection. Below are resources to help healthcare facilities comply with Federal, Statel, and local medical waste requirements.
Regulated Medical Waste is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center to help healthcare facilities understand what is and what is not regulated medical waste, the regulations governing the handling, treatment, and disposal of medical waste, as well as ways to reduce the generation of regulated medical waste.
Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators is a website developed by EPA to provide information regarding EPA's air emission regulations for Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators.
Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) Resource Locator is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities learn how medical wastes are regulated in their state.
Health-care facilities are one of the main sources of mercury release into the atmosphere because of emissions from the incineration of medical waste and are also responsible for mercury pollution taking place in water bodies from the release of untreated wastewater. Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. 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. Methylmercury builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat, how long they live and how high they are in the food chain. Research shows that most people's fish consumption does not cause a health concern. However, 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 healthcare facilities reduce their use of mercury, how to handle mercury spills, as well as properly dispose and treat mercury-containing waste:
Mercury Information for Healthcare Care Providers is a website developed by EPA to provides resources relating to issues of particular concern to people who work in the health care industry, including the medical uses of mercury, programs to reduce the use of mercury, health effects of mercury, workplace safety, how to handle mercury spills, and proper disposal and treatment of mercury waste.
Mercury in Healthcare Facilities is a website developed by the healthare environmental resource center to help healthcare facilities find information that will help them understand why hospitals have acquired so much mercury, why this has become a problem, and what their options are.
Mercury State Resources Tool is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform which contains links to agencies, regulations, and resources that can help a healthcare facility determine their environmental responsibilities associated with mercury-containing devices or mercury contamination (e.g. spills). Where available, it also includes links to mercury drop-off recycling/disposal sites.
Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) Mercury Health Care Hub is a web site which provides a brief summary of resources, on-line tools and other information about mercury and the health care industry.
Mercury Healthcare Topic Hub is a web-based guide to peer-reviewed pollution prevention information and expertise on mercury in the healthcare sector developed by the pollution prevention resource exchange.
Healthcare facilities commonly use pesticides to prevent, destroy, repell, or mitigate pests such as insects, rodents, weeds, fungi, prions, 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 healthcare facilities 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.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resources Center to help healthcare facilities comply with FIFRA which provides EPA with the authority to oversee the registration, distribution, sale and use of pesticides.
State Programs is a website developed by EPA to provide facilities witha list of pesticide state lead agencies.
A hospital pharmacy can easily have several thousand distinct pharmaceutical materials in inventory. Any of these materials can enter the waste stream, and some must be managed as hazardous wastes. Below are resources to help healthcare facilities manage their pharmaceutical waste properly:
Pharmaceutical Wastes in Healthcare Facilities is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center to help healthcare facilities properly handle and dispose of their pharmaceutical wastes.
Universal Waste: Pharmaceuticals is a website developed by EPA to inform the regulated community and the public of its proposal to to add hazardous pharmaceutical wastes to the Universal Waste Rule in order to provide a system for disposing hazardous pharmaceutical wastes that is protective of public health and the environment. The proposed addition will make it easier for generators to collect and properly dispose of these items as hazardous wastes, resulting in a simpler and more streamlined waste management system.
Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs [115 KB, 1 pg] is a consumer fact sheet developed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Unused Pharmaceuticals in the Healthcare Industry: Interim Report was issued by EPA in August 2008 on the results of a study of hospitals and long-term care facilities disposal practices related to the disposal of unused pharmaceuticals with the goal of understanding one way in which pharmaceuticals enter our waterways.
PharmEcology is a private waste management company committed to providing the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry with the information and systems needed to manage pharmaceutical waste in a cost effective, compliant, and environmentally friendly manner. Through education, information, implementation support, and certification, PharmEcology provides on-going solutions to enhance the way in which pharmaceutical waste is identified and managed.
In a healthcare setting, it is essential to be able to control infectious organisms. Sterilants and disinfectants are important tools for meeting that need. But because they are necessarily toxic to living organisms, sterilants and disinfectants must be handled carefully, and their associated wastes must be managed properly, to avoid causing unintentional harm as they fulfill their intended function. Below are resources to help healthcare facilities properly handle and dispose of sterilants and disinfectants:
Sterilants and Disinfectants in Healthcare Facilities is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center to provide an introduction to sterilants and disinfectants in common use, and includes information on proper handling and disposal, and on available alternatives.
Hospital Sterilizers Using Ethylene Oxide [100 KB, 2 pp] is a brochure issued by EPA in August 2008 regarding the new national hazardous air pollutant emission standard for hospital sterilizers using ethylene oxide.
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 healthcare facilities if they are constructing new facilities or expanding existing ones whereby they are disturbing more than one acre of land. Also, some healthcare facilities 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 healthcare facilities 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 is a website maintained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to provide information regarding New York State's stormwater program.
Stormwater and Non-Point Source Pollution is a website maintained by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to provide information regarding New Jersey's stormwater program.
Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center (CICA) is is your source for plain language explanations of environmental rules for the construction industry. It is provided free of charge by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences with the assistance of the Associated General Contractors of America and the National Association of Home Builders. Funding for the center has been provided by the EPA.
Stormwater Resource Locator is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help facilities find stormwater permit forms and guidance documents for construction activities, and persons you can contact in your state agency for additional assistance.
Stormwater Training Resource Locator is a website developed by the Environmental Compliance Assistance Platform to help companies in the construction industry find stormwater training resources by state.
Many healthcare facilities 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 healthcare facility 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. A medical center 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 healthcare facilities are indirect discharges. Such facilities are subject to regulations by their local sewer authority. For hospitals that are direct dischargers, EPA has established national discharge standards, which are numerical limitations for certain specific pollutants and to meet the direct discharge limitations, a hospital 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, healthcare 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 healthcare facilities 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
Clean Water Act: Wastewater Regulations is a website developed by the Healthcare Environmental Resource Center to help medical centers understand and comply with waste water regulations.
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.