What Is the Recommended Procedure for Chemical Disposal? HAZARDOUS chemical waste, as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or State authority, is waste that presents a danger to human health and/or the environment. EPA has determined hundreds of chemicals to be hazardous waste; no Soil Survey Office Laboratory (SSOL) should assume that a particular chemical is not hazardous but should leave such determinations to regulatory authorities. The following steps are recommended before disposing of any chemical waste. 1) Create a log book that itemizes chemical items for disposal, showing at a minimum: item name, quantity, and date available for disposal. 2) Because of particular differences among States, NRCS Soil Survey Office Laboratories are directed to consult FedCenter for environmental regulation compliance assistance when disposing of chemical items. Go to www.fedcenter.gov, or contact: a. Steve Luzzi at
[email protected] (tel: 217‐373‐5894) b. Mike Shields at
[email protected] (tel: 202‐564‐9035) Be sure to have the Material Safety Data Sheet(s) (MSDS) for the chemical item(s) before inquiring. An MSDS is ordinarily shipped with a chemical; these sheets should be kept on file for reference. A list of some of the more common chemicals cited in the Soil Survey Field and Laboratory Methods Manual can be found by using the hyperlinked list on the following page or by clicking on the list in the left panel. 3) Even if EPA declares a particular chemical to be nonhazardous for disposal “down the drain,” it is still necessary to contact your local Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) or sewer authority to ascertain whether disposal to the POTW is permissible in your area.