Hazardous Materials in Construction and Demolition Waste

 

Hazardous Materials in Construction and Demolition waste must be properly managed to avoid fines or environmental liability. Proper management includes identification,  accumulation, and disposal. Identification and accumulation prior to disposal is the responsibility of the contractor or department performing the work however the liability for not doing this properly is shared by the University. Therefore all project managers should be thoroughly aware of the following requirements. All disposal shall be through, coordinated by, or approved by Environmental Health and Safety.

  

 

Billing – Hazardous waste from construction projects is to be paid for by the University of Florida from construction funds.  The contractor will make arrangements for the waste to be picked up or delivered to the Waste Management Facility, Surge Area.  The building and project number should be clearly identified on the Chemical Waste Pickup Request form.  EH&S will send a bill to the UF Project Manager.  If the terms of the contract indicate that the contractor is ultimately responsible for the cost of disposal of hazardous materials in construction debris, these costs may be billed to the contractor by the UF Project Manager or deducted from payments.   As a hazardous waste facility, regulations prevent UF EH&S from working as a subcontractor, which would be the case of UF accepted waste from contractors and charged the contractor a fee for such services.   

 

Training – All contractors who will handle or accumulate hazardous materials shall be able to document that their staff has had appropriate training to identify, manage, and safely handle the hazardous materials.

 

Asbestos – An updated asbestos survey of any building or section of a building that is scheduled for renovation or demolition shall be conducted to identify both friable and non-friable asbestos containing materials.  A draft copy of the survey must be reviewed by the University Asbestos Coordinator for completeness prior to accepting the final product.  A copy of the updated survey must be kept on site until the renovation or demolition activities are completed.

 

The survey shall be conducted prior to the start of renovation or demolition under the supervision of a Florida-licensed asbestos consultant.  Individuals performing asbestos surveys must be certified as EPA asbestos inspectors through a Florida-approved training provider.

 

Lead Paint – A lead paint survey must be provided for any building constructed prior to 1980 and for any exterior structure (i.e. painted handrails) that may be affected by a construction project, regardless of age. Materials identified as having lead paint must be further characterized to determine if they are subject to hazardous waste disposal restrictions.

 

Lead survey information must be provided to the contractor and the contractor must comply with applicable training requirements as required by OSHA and the EPA.

 

Lamp ballasts – All ballasts (PCB and non PCB) must be collected for disposal, containers for ballast disposal can be obtained by contacting EHS Hazardous Materials Management. Barrels must be labeled and closed during accumulation. 55 gallon barrels should not be filled more than half way due to the weight. PCB ballasts must be segregated from non PCB ballasts.

 

Lamps and HID light bulbs – Fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs must be handled by EH&S HMM.  Other specialty bulbs which also may contain mercury must be handled by EH&S as well. All spent lamps, or the container which they are in, must be labeled clearly using the following phrases:   “Universal Waste—Lamp(s),” or “Waste Lamp(s),” or “Used Lamp(s)”.  Lamp boxes are available through EH&S at no cost.  Protect lamps from breaking and the containers from moisture.

Mercury switches – Mercury Containing Equipment – There are many types of equipment that contain elemental mercury. Before disposing of any of these types of equipment, you should verify that they do not contain mercury.  Mercury containing devices should be handled with caution to prevent spillage. Devices should be handled intact, sealed, and packaged to prevent breakage.   All used mercury containing equipment must be labeled clearly as  “Universal Waste—Mercury Containing Equipment,”  “Waste Mercury-Containing Equipment,” or “Used Mercury-Containing Equipment.”

            Examples include:

 

Batteries – Storage batteries and other batteries which contain hazardous metals such as mercury, lead, silver and cadmium must be handled by EH&S.    All used batteries must be clearly labeled using the following phrases:   “Universal Waste — Battery(ies)”,  “Waste Battery(ies)” or “Used Battery(ies)” during accumulation. Bagging small batteries in non conductive material will help prevent fires.

 

Waste labels – Waste labels are available at no cost from Hazardous Materials Management at 392-8400 or by e-mailing Bill Coughlin at bcoughl@ehs.ufl.edu.

 

Planning – Assistance can be obtaining by contact Tom Ladun at 392-1591 for asbestos and lead issues or Bill Coughlin at 392-8400 for all other waste issues.