Hazardous Waste Information
Mission Statement:
To ensure the facilities that generate, transport, treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste comply with the federal hazardous waste regulations.
Regulated Community:
The NNEPA Hazardous Waste Program inspects 185 facilities that generate hazardous waste.
These facilities include tribal, county, state, and federal facilities, also the coal mines, the power plants, private industries, educational facilities, and small businesses.
What is Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous Waste can be any type of solid, liquid, or contained gaseous material that you no longer use and have either recycled, dicarded, or stored until you have enough to treat or dispose of. When not handled or disposed of carefully this waste could:
- cause injury and/or be fatal
- damage to the environment
Goals: To identify non-notifiers who generate:
- Hazardous Waste
- Conduct Inspections
- Support EPA Enforcement Activities
- Provide technical assistance & hazardous waste workshops
Issues:
Using an unqualified contractor to transport & dispose of Hazardous Waste.
Not all facilities have qualified workers who are responsible for managing and handling hazardous waste.
Do not buy used 55-gallon drums & containers for use to store water or livestock feed, or to modify into a livestock feed trough or barbeque grill.
Recommendations:
- Improve communication with all parties involved
- Verify qualifications for all hazardous waste contractors
- Ensure personnel training is current
- Purchase environment "friendly" products to avoid generating hazardous waste
- Implement pollution prevention and waste minimization programs
- Consider vendors who will exchange & refill empty containers
- Secure financial resources
- 2003 Hazardous Waste Report Form - Navajo Nation EPA
- 2003 Hazardous Waste Instructions and Forms - USEPA
- Notification of Regulatory Waste Activity