Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Design process equipment to minimize waste.
Use a centrifuge rather
than a filter, for example, to avoid filter cartridge disposal.
Implement an aggressive equipment maintenance program
to pre-
vent leaks. Periodically check tanks, seals, pipe joints, and
other equipment for needed repairs.
Contain and immediately clean up any spills, leaks, and drips.
Build or purchase secondary containment structures. Use
drip pans under spigots and in other areas where there is
likely to be seepage.
Use absorbent materials for spills when necessary.
Dispose of used
absorbents with the same degree of care as you use with the
materials being absorbed.
Install a catch basin in loading and unloading areas.
Nearly one-
third of all accidental spills occur at loading docks. Keep rain-
water and dirt out of the catch basin.
Hook up to a municipal sewer system if possible.
Pretreat process
wastes to comply with local ordinances or applicable federal
categorical pretreatment standards.
Route wastewater to holding tanks
that can be periodically
pumped out. Do this if no municipal sewer system connection
is available.
Hire a licensed liquid-industrial-waste hauler
to pick up the waste-
water for proper disposal.
Perform all outside work on a sealed concrete or asphalt-paved sur-
face
surrounded by a berm or dike.
Store raw materials and wastes under a roof or other protective cover
and on a sealed concrete or asphalt-paved surface. Provide
additional secondary containment when necessary.
Make sure workers follow manufacturers' directions
when mixing mate-
rials to prevent using more materials than needed or making
materials more hazardous than necessary. For large volumes and
routine mixing, it is better to install an automated mixing system.
Do not dispose of items that contain hazardous materials
in trash
that will be buried in a sanitary landfill or that will be inciner-
ated. Recycle used fluorescent and high-intensity lamps, small
batteries, capacitors containing polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), mercury thermometers, and other lab instruments,
or handle them as hazardous waste.
