Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1378657
www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2021 | 51 ML ML Photo copyright © Justrite Safety Group is regulation aims to prevent oil pollution, and in turn, protect drinking water and natural resources. e SPCC regulation sets standards regarding the prevention of and response to oil discharges. e regulation requires that affected facility owners and operators prepare and implement a spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan unique to their facility. Within these SPCC plans, standards are set for the containment and storage of oil-contam- inated materials. In 1976, Congress enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). e RCR A created standards for identifying and handling hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste materials. A complete list of these stan- dards can be accessed on the EPA's official website, wherein you can find guidelines to determine if the materials that you are dealing with are considered hazardous or non-haz- ardous. is determination will dictate how you can dispose of your oil-contaminated materials. EPA regulations require containers and above-ground tanks in which oil-contaminated materials are stored to be clearly labeled as "Used Oil." Some State Environmental Protec- tion Agencies may have additional standards; for example, California's Code of Regulations requires that – in addition to being labeled as "Used Oil" – containers are labeled with the name and address of the oil source, the hazardous properties of the material being stored, the date that the container began accu- mulating used oil and the composition of the waste being contained (CCR, Title 22 § 66262). It is not uncommon for individual companies to provide further regulations or specifications to be followed in combination with the legal regulations. As an example, the internal regulation guide for a particular chem- ical company dictates that "Oil contaminated material, such as filters, oil pads, etc., shall be disposed of [in] the dedicated environmental dumpsters at each oil storage area where the material can be recycled and disposed of prop- erly by the environmental department." How to Store Oil-Contami- nated Materials Drums and other industrial containers can be used to collect oil-contaminated materials. These containers should be appropriately labeled and easy to access. Many containers on the market have foot-operated and self-closing lids (Waste Disposal Safety Container. Proper storage containers make it easy to collect absorbents and reduce the risk of fires and oil contamination. Knowing what containers to use is one thing, but it's up to the plant to make these readily available where necessary and implement proper training for everyone to know how and when to use them. Having documented proce- dures also helps to ensure there is proper storage of oily rags and other similar materials. As part of the Ascend™ Methodology, one of the Energy Conservation, Health and the Environment factors focuses on the understanding of these disposal practices with Storage and Disposal of Used Oil And Materials (E2P). is should be a staple of safe workplaces. How to Properly Dispose of your Oil-Contaminated Materials Once you have implemented proper storage procedures for your oily rags and similar materials, they cannot stay there forever. Next, a decision needs to be made on how to eventually dispose of these prop- erly. Before choosing how to proceed, you will need to determine if your material is considered hazardous. is can be done by referencing the EPA guidelines mentioned previously. Additionally, you must determine if your material contains free liquid oil. Free liquids cannot be disposed of in the same ways as solid waste. Materials can be tested to determine if they contain free liquids. One of the EPA-approved tests (Method 9095B) uses a conical paint filter (mesh number 60 +/- 5%). e test guidelines direct that "A predetermined amount of mate- rial is placed in a paint filter. If any portion of the material passes through and drops from the filter within the 5-min test period, the material is deemed to contain free liquids." Exhaustive testing such as this is generally not needed; if your materials drip liquid when squeezed, they likely are considered to contain free liquids and cannot be disposed of with solid waste. is is particularly important to understand when considering the varying waste and disposal procedures between simply just an oily rag and the absorbent pads that may be soaked when handling a sizable oil spill. Used oil filters can be drained of their contents and disposed of as non-hazardous waste. It is common for filters to first be placed on a grate that can allow dripped oil to collect into a drum. Additionally, oil crushers, will push out most of the remaining oil into a used oil drum, while making the remainder filter more easily recyclable. According to the EPA (40 CFR Part 261), once oil filters are drained and crushed or dismantled, they are no longer considered hazardous waste (provided the