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Lab Waste at Educational Institutions
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- Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories: Final Rule
- Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories: Proposed Rule
- Efforts to Improve Reuse/Recycling of Chemicals at Educational Institutions
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- New England Universities Laboratories XL Project
- Memoranda
Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories: Final Rule
EPA is adding a new subpart -- Subpart K -- to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste generator regulatory requirements. The alternative set of regulations allows eligible academic entities the flexibility to make hazardous waste determinations in the laboratory; at an on-site central accumulation area; or at an on-site treatment, storage, or disposal facility (TSDF). Also, this rule provides incentives for eligible academic entities to clean-out old and expired chemicals that may pose unnecessary risk. Further, this rule requires the development of a Laboratory Management Plan (LMP) which is expected to result in safer laboratory practices and increased awareness of hazardous waste management. Eligible academic entities may also choose to remain subject to the pre-existing hazardous waste generator requirements. Eligible academic entities are colleges and universities, and teaching hospitals and nonprofit research institutes that are either owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university.Federal Register Notice - December 1, 2008
The support materials for this rule and the public comments EPA received on the proposal are available for public review online, as explained below. Please note that final rule materials will not be available from Regulations.gov until the rule is published in the Federal Register
To use Regulations.gov:
- Select Docket Search.
- Select "Environmental Protection Agency" from the Agency drop-down menu.
- In the Docket ID box, type in the docket number (e.g., EPA-HQ-RCRA-2003-0012) and press the "Submit" button to receive search results. Be patient; loading the documents takes time.
Frequent Questions || Fact Sheet || Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 100K) || Press Release
Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories: Proposed Rule
EPA is proposing alternative hazardous waste generator requirements applicable to college and university laboratories as defined in this proposed rule. The proposal provides a flexible and protective set of regulations that address the specific nature of hazardous waste generation in college and university laboratories. The flexibility in today’s proposed rule will allow colleges and universities the discretion to determine the most appropriate and effective method of compliance with today’s requirements. Additionally, this proposed rule grants colleges and universities the choice to manage their hazardous wastes in accordance with today’s alternative set of regulations or remain subject to the existing generator regulations set forth in 40 CFR 262.11 and 262.34(c).
Federal Register Notice - Extension of Public Comment - August 21, 2006 || Extension of Public Comment (PDF) (2 pp., 75 KB)
Federal Register Notice - Proposed Rule - May 23, 2006 || Proposed Rule (PDF) (42 pp., 491 KB)
Fact Sheet || Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 page, 18 KB)
The support materials for this rule and the public comments EPA received on the proposal are available for public review online, as explained below.
To use Regulations.gov:
- Select Docket Search.
- Select "Environmental Protection Agency" from the Agency drop-down menu.
- In the Docket ID box, type in the docket number [use the new docket number; change EDOCKET number by putting EPA-HQ- in front of EDOCKET number, e.g., EPA-HQ-RCRA-2003-0012] and press the "Submit" button to receive search results. Be patient; loading the documents takes time.
Frequent Questions || Frequent Questions (PDF) (4 pp., 37 KB)
Efforts to Improve Reuse/Recycling of Chemicals at Educational Institutions
EPA is engaged in several efforts to facilitate improved reuse and recycling of chemicals in educational institutions and better waste management overall. Existing Federal and state hazardous waste regulations were designed primarily for industrial settings and are, in certain aspects, difficult to apply to academic teaching and research laboratories. The challenge for these academic laboratories is that they typically use small amounts of a large variety of chemicals on a sporadic basis. EPA supports developing effective alternatives for safely managing hazardous wastes in academic research institutions that meet standards for protection of human health and the environment.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
A collaborative, consensus-based project with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, ten leading academic research institutions affiliated with the Institute, and state environmental agencies has developed a best practices approach for managing hazardous wastes in academic research institutions, which includes effective and practical approaches for stimulating additional reuse and recycling of chemicals. EPA has issued a Report to Congress on this project.
Federal Register - May 30, 2002 || Federal Register (PDF) (2 pp., 41 KB)
HHMI
Laboratory Safety Program 
New England Universities Laboratories XL Project
Project XL, which stands for “eXcellence and Leadership,” is a national initiative that tests innovative ways of achieving better and more cost-effective public health and environmental protection. EPA's Region 1 is conducting The New England Universities Laboratories XL Project, which has been designed to develop a more effective scheme for regulating university laboratories, to develop programs to enhance laboratory safety, and to illustrate better systems to manage laboratory environmental impacts.
