Hazardous Waste Exam 1 - PP
EPA Lead and Copper Rule
"The rule requires systems to monitor drinking water at customer taps. If lead concentrations exceed an action level of 15 ppb or copper concentrations exceed an action level of 1.3 ppm in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the system must undertake a number of additional actions to control corrosion." "If the action level for lead is exceeded, they must also inform the public about steps they should take to protect their health and may have to replace lead service lines under their control"
Clean Water Restoration Act (1966)
$3.9 billion over five years with the largest sum going to the construction of new sewage treatment plants
Pros of Cultural Mold Sampling
-Allows differentiation of Aspergillus and Penicillium as well as speciation of molds -Provides viable airborne spore counts -Culturable bacteria counts
4 C's
-Command -Control-Communication-Coordination
Rivers and Harbors Act (1899)
-Congressional approval before building any wharfs, piers, jetties and other structures
Significant Industrial Users (SIU)
-Daily discharge rate of >25,000 gallons -User discharge accounts for 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic loading of the POTW -The industrial discharge can adversely affect the POTW
Safety and Health Senior Management Responsibilities
-Develop, sign, and publish an organizational safety and hazard control policy statement -Describe key expectations in accomplishing safety and hazard control objectives -Develop methods to track the progress of safety and hazard programs and methods to provide feedback -Require managers and supervisors to actively support established objectives
Prohibited Discharge Standards
-Discharges that cause fire or explosion at POTW -Corrosive discharges -Heated discharges in excess of 40° C -Discharges that will result in dangerous gases
Prohibited Discharge Standards
-Discharges that cause fire or explosion at POTW -Corrosive discharges -Heated discharges in excess of 40° C -Discharges that will result in dangerous gases -Dredged Materials -Landfill Leachate -Remediation Wastewater
Supervisor responsibilities
-Enforce work rules & correct unsafe or at-risk behaviors -Implement S&H control policies, procedures, & practices -Provide job or task-related training & education -Immediately report & investigate all accidents -Conduct periodic area hazard control & safety inspections -Ensure proper maintenance & servicing of all equipment -Lead by example & personally adhere to S&H controls -Work with organizational S&H control personnel to correct and control S&H issues -Ensure personnel correctly use PPE
Three primary areas of cost
-Facilities and Infrastructure -Programs and Administration -Internal and Compliance Costs
Cons of Cultural Mold Sampling
-False negatives -Does not identify non-viable spores/bacteria -Five to seven days for analysis
Manager responsibilities
-Guide development of S&H control training and education sessions -Serve as the S&H control consultant & information center -Provide S&H control-related technical assistance as necessary -Provide information about legal and compliance requirements affecting S&H -Evaluate overall S&H control performance as related to established objectives -Maintain communication with regulatory agencies & professional S&H organizations -Oversee accident investigations, S&H analysis, & prepare reports or summaries -Monitor progress of corrective actions required to address hazards & safety deficiencies
Darcy's Law
-He discovered a mathematical relationship (1856) that shows the flow of groundwater through granular media or the flow of other fluids through permeable material. -The rate of flow (Q) for groundwater between two points is proportional to the change in elevation between the points (h), the distance between the points (l), and the hydraulic conductivity of the material the water flows through (K).
EPA water quality standards (Groundwater)
-Numeric - Numeric water quality standards represent safe concentrations in water that protect human health, like drinking water, aquatic life and recreation, industrial, agricultural, aesthetic and wetland uses, and Limited Resource Value Waters. -Narrative - A narrative water quality standard is a statement that prohibits unacceptable conditions in or upon the water, such as floating solids, scums, visible oil film, or nuisance algae blooms
NAAQS Criteria Pollutants
-Ozone -PM -CO -NOx -SOx -Lead
Bioaerosols
-Those particles that are living or originate from living organisms Includes: microorganisms(curlurable, non-culturable and dead), fragments, toxins, particulate waste products Particle sizes range from <0.01 to 100 microns
Why sample bioaerosols?
-To determine whether a surface or an air contamination is a bioaerosols -Help determine whether biological particles in a particular environment are above "normal" or "ambient" levels -To identify specific genera and species of bacteria/molds for health evaluations (allergy testing, etc.) -To determine the extent of contamination within an indoor environment -Establish baseline bioaerosol (mold) levels within an indoor environment before remedial actions start -Verify the adequacy of remedial actions
Behavior correction process
1.Identify the unsafe action (behavior) 2.State the concern for worker safety 3.Demonstrate the correct & safe procedure a.Training, education 4.Ensure the worker understands a.Testing, re-training if needed 5.Restate the concern for worker safety 6.Follow-up
Inspection type for stormwater management
14 day - active site, from time of pad construction to reclamation and revegetation is complete Monthly: Completed site (reclamation and revegetation until final stabilization is achieved)
Source of Water from Water Treatment Plants
53% groundwater 47% surface water Specific treatment requirements from each source
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
A 1969 U.S. federal act that mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or federal permits. NEPA requires the evaluation of the environmental impacts for any project using federal funds or being carried out on federal lands. The goals are to insure the federal plans, functions, programs and resources are used to achieve a safe, healthful, productive and ethically and culturally pleasing surroundings.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
A TMDL is the calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant allowed to enter a waterbody so that the waterbody will meet and continue to meet water quality standards for that particular pollutant. A calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still safely meet water quality standards TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS WLA = waste load allocation LA = load allocation MOS = margin of safety
Groundwater quality standards
A numeric standard prescribes an allowable maximum contaminant level for a given groundwater contaminant. A narrative standard is descriptive of conditions to be maintained to support a designated groundwater use, or may generally prohibit the discharge of particular types of contaminants
GHS
A system created to standardize and harmonize the classification and labeling of defined physical, health, and environmental characteristics associated with hazardous chemicals Regulated by OSHA
What triggers a need for a TMDL? (Total Maximum Daily Load)
According to the Clean Water Act, each state must develop TMDLs for all the waters identified on their Section 303(d) list of impaired waters, according to their priority ranking on that list.
Toxic pollutants
Acutely or chronically toxic to plants animals or humans: Six compounds: 40 CFR 129.4 Aldrin/Dieldrin DDT Endrin Toxaphene Benzidine PCBs
Non-viable mold sampling - air-O-cells
Air-O-Cells -collection and analysis of a wide range of airborne aerosols. These include fungal spores, pollen, insect parts, skin cell fragments, fibers, and inorganic particulates. -Fungi cannot be fully speciated with this method. -Spore viability cannot be assessed.
Water Quality Act
Amended the Clean Water Act by addressing storm water pollution issues - requires industrial storm water discharges and municipal sewage discharge facilities to acquire permits. Strengthened maximum penalties for violating the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act - Spill Control and Counter Measure Plan
An SPCC plan is required by facilities with storage capacity in excess of: 1320 gallons above ground 42,000 gallons below ground 660 gallons or more in a single above ground tank. Requires notification: National Response Center within 24 hours of a release of a reportable quantity. The Act prohibits the discharge of harmful quantities of oil into navigable waters.
Federal Register
An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies. Provides official notice of a document's existence, its contents and legal effect Gives documents evidentiary status - makes them admissible in court.
Safe Drinking Water Act
Authorized the EPA to establish comprehensive drinking water regulations to ensure drinking water safety Regulated chemicals: -Microorganisms -Disinfectants and by-products -Inorganic chemicals -Organic chemicals -Radionuclides
Biological contamination
Biologically derived aerosols, gases, and vapors in buildings that cause disease or predispose people to adverse health effects Inappropriate concentrations of outdoor bioaerosols Indoor biological growth and remnants of growth that may become airborne, which people may be exposed
Risk assessment
Characterize potentially adverse health effects from exposure to a substance (s) (work, environment, home)
Soil permeability
Coarse gravel = > 10^-1, high relative permeability Sand, clean = 10^-1 to 10^-3, medium relative permeability Sand, dirty = 10^-3 to 10^-5, low relative permeability Silt = 10^-5 to 10^-7, very low permeability Clay = < 10^-7, impervious (cannot let liquid pass through)
Toxic Substance Control Act
Enacted to fill gaps left by other laws; consequently it was designed to protect human health and the environment by regulating chemicals in commerce. Designed to reduce unreasonable environmental or human health risks from dangerous chemicals by front-end controls on their manufacture, distribution, use or disposal.
TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)
Enacted to fill gaps left by other laws; consequently it was designed to protect human health and the environment by regulating chemicals in commerce. Designed to reduce unreasonable environmental or human health risks from dangerous chemicals by front-end controls on their manufacture, distribution, use or disposal. Its three main objectives are to assess and regulate new commercial chemicals before they enter the market, to regulate chemicals already existing in 1976 that posed an "unreasonable risk to health or to the environment", as for example PCBs, lead, mercury and radon, and to regulate these chemicals' distribution and use.
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)
Enforce or carry out clean-ups when there is an imminent and substantial danger to public health, welfare or the environment.
The Clean water act of 1977 restated what key provision in 1972?
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
conventional pollutants
Five parameters: Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform bacteria, oil and grease, pH, total suspended solids (TSS). 1) Biochemical oxygen demand: Biochemical oxygen demand is a measure of the quantity of oxygen used by microorganisms (e.g., aerobic bacteria) in the oxidation of organic matter. Natural sources of organic matter include plant decay and leaf fall. 2) Fecal coliform bacteria 3) Oil and grease: EPA method 1664 uses n-hexane as the extraction solvent for Oil and Grease and other extractable material that is not adsorbed by silica gel in surface and saline waters, and industrial and domestic aqueous waste. N-hexane extracts non-volatile hydrocarbons, vegetable oils, animal fats, waxes, soaps, greases, and related materials. 4) pH 5) Total suspended solids
General Site Workers
General Site Workers are those employees engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities which expose or potentially expose workers to hazardous substances and health hazards. These workers must receive 40 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of three days supervised field experience.
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
Gives the DOT authority to regulate the movement of substances that may pose a hazard to health or the environment when transported by air, rail, highway or water including but not limited to:Explosives, radioactive, etiological agents, blasting agents, flammable, combustible, poisons, corrosives, oxidizers, compressed gases, irritants
DOT
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. Gives the DOT authority to regulate the movement of substances that may pose a hazard to health or the environment when transported by air, rail, highway or water including but not limited to:
Centralized treatment plants aren't practical
Industrial discharges are unique and each may require individual treatment processes
Federal Regulatory Process
Legal structure established by the combined requirements of: -The Federal Register Act -The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) -Many individual laws, such as those affecting health, safety, commerce and the environment •Federal agencies use the regulatory process to issue and enforce legally effective regulations
Level C PPE
Level C can be used only when all atmospheric contaminants have been identified and their concentrations measured and when it has been determined that the air-purifying respirator/canister can remove air contaminants. Limited respiratory and some skin protection
Manager vs. Supervisor
Manager -A manager is a title given to people managing smooth functioning of the day to day operations in organizations of all varieties. -Managers typically are responsible for a team as well as a department or a specific function. Supervisor -A supervisor is the leader in the first line management of the organization and looks after the work and performance of the employees. -Supervisors are responsible for managing small teams of employees.
Level A PPE
Max skin and max breathing protection Level A is recommended for site entries where operations involve a high potential for splash or for exposure to vapors, gases, or particles that have a high degree of hazard. Level A is recommended for initial site entries until the hazards have been identified.
Level B PPE
Maximum respiratory protection (doesn't protect from vapors and gases) Some skin protection
NPP (National Pretreatment Program)
National Pretreatment Program Prevent damage to POTW (Publicly Owned Treatment Works) Prevent discharge of pollutants that will pass through the POTW Requires pretreatment plans for industrial users of POTWs that:-If they treat > 5million gallons per day -If they have significant industrial users (SIUs )
Monitoring and Reporting NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit
No standard monitoring requirement is required to operate under a NPDES permit A NPDES permit that specifies effluent limitations will require monitoring to ensure compliance Specific monitoring requirements-Use only approved monitoring methods-Record retention for 3 - 5 years
OEL's for bioaerosols
No standardized sampling protocols No standardized analytical analyses No established Dose/Response relationships No PELs!!
Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs)
Non-aqueous phase liquids are liquids that are sparingly soluble in water •NAPLs can be lighter than water, light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) •NAPLs can be denser than water, dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPLs)
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW)
OGWDW, together with states, tribes, and our many partners, protects public health by ensuring safe drinking water and protecting ground water. We oversee implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. -develop and help implement national drinking water standards -oversee and assist funding of state drinking water programs and source water protection programs -help small drinking water systems -protect underground sources of drinking water through the Underground Injection Control Program -provide information about drinking water quality to the public.
Office of Science and Technology
OST works with states, tribes, and other stakeholders to develop recommended safe water quality levels for toxics, nutrients, and pathogens to help ensure our nation's waters can be used for fishing, swimming, and drinking water also water pollution from industries
Office of Wastewater Management (OWM)
OWM supports the Clean Water Act by promoting effective and responsible water use, wastewater treatment, disposal and management and by encouraging the protection and restoration of watersheds.
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW)
OWOW works to protect our freshwater, estuarine, coastal and ocean ecosystems, including watersheds and wetlands. They regulate and monitor ocean dumping and vessel discharges, and reduce aquatic trash and marine debris.
Occasional site workers
Occasional Site Workers are those employees on site only occasionally for a specific limited task and who are unlikely to be exposed over permissible exposure limits and published exposure limits. These employees are to receive 24 hours of instruction off the site, and a minimum of one day supervised field experience. If the General Site Worker at the hazardous waste site will not be exposed above Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) or other published exposure limits, and thus no respiratory protection is necessary, workers can receive 24 hours of training equal to the Occasional Site Worker and regularly work at hazardous waste sites. If an Occasional Site Worker needs to wear respiratory protection, the standard allows a worker to receive an additional 16 hours of training plus two additional days of supervised field experience to bring the certification to the General Site Worker level. Once trained to the General Site Worker level, an employee can be exposed above PELs, and thus wear appropriate respiratory protection.
Qualitative chemical testing
Presence or absence of chemical
National Pretreatment Program
Prevents damage to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) Prevents discharge of pollutants that will pass through the POTW. Pre-treatment plans are needed for those: That treat over 5 million gallons a day If they have significant industrial users (SIU's)
Primary vs. Secondary Water Standards
Primary Drinking Water Regulations are legally enforceable standards that limit the level of specific contaminants that can adversely affect public health and are known or anticipated to occur in water. Units for the regulations are displayed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted. Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million. ~ National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs or secondary standards) are non-mandatory water quality standards for 15 contaminants. EPA does not enforce these "secondary maximum contaminant levels" or "SMCLs." They are established only as guidelines to assist public water systems in managing their drinking water for aesthetic considerations, such as taste, color and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health at the SMCL's. Public water systems may test for these standards on a voluntary basis, however, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards. The US EPA believes that if these contaminants are present in your water at levels above these standards, the contaminants may cause the water to appear cloudy or colored, or to taste or smell bad. This may cause a great number of people to stop using water from their public water system even though the water is actually safe to drink. Secondary standards are set to give public water systems some guidance on removing these chemicals to levels that are below what most people will find to be noticeable.
Ozone
Primary and secondary 8 hours 0.070 ppm
Lead
Primary and secondary standard 0.15 micrograms max
Carbon Monoxide
Primary standard 9 ppm for a 8 hour TWA 35 ppm for 1 hour Aides in ozone production
Nitrogen dioxide
Primary: 1 hour, 100 ppb Secondary: 1 year, 53 ppb
Pipeline Safety Act
Provides regulatory vehicle to set minimum standards for pipelines carrying:Natural gas, liquefied natural gas, hazardous liquids, oil, carbon dioxide, ammonia, liquefied petroleum products, propane
Concentration of chemical
Quantitative
SPCC plan
Spill Control and Counter Measure Plan An SPCC plan is required by facilities with storage capacity in excess of: 1320 gallons above ground or 42,000 gallons below ground or 660 gallons or more in a single above ground tank. EPA inspection and require modification after three spills.
Who is responsible for developing a TMDL? (Total Maximum Daily Load)
States are responsible for developing TMDLs and submitting them to EPA for approval. Even if third parties assist in the development of the TMDL or its supporting analysis, such TMDLs must still be submitted to EPA by the states
Federal statutes
Statutes, also known as acts, are laws passed by a legislature. Federal statutes are laws enacted by Congress with (and in some circumstances without) the approval of the President.
Superfund
Superfund is a United States federal government program designed to fund the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants. Sites managed under this program are referred to as "Superfund" sites. It was established as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The EPA may identify parties responsible for hazardous substances releases to the environment (polluters) and either compel them to clean up the sites, or it may undertake the cleanup on its own using the Superfund (a trust fund) and costs recovered from polluters by referring to the U.S. Department of Justice. Approximately 70% of Superfund cleanup activities historically have been paid for by parties responsible (PRPs). The exceptions occur when the responsible party either cannot be found or is unable to pay for the cleanup. 4 types of costs: -Actual costs of removal and/or remediation incurred by the state or federal government agency. -Response costs incurred by others (private contractors). -Damages to natural resources owned or controlled by any government agency. -The costs of health assessments conducted by ATSDR.
Clean Water Act (CWA)
The CWA focuses on protecting the quality of navigable water by ensuring they are fishable and swimmable, while the SDWA focuses on public health and source water protection. -Recommended Maximum Contaminant Goals (RMCG) -Primary Standards - protect human health Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) -Secondary Standards - color, taste, smell, other physical characteristics Underground injection regulations
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations (sometimes called administrative law) published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the United States.
Federal register
The Federal Register is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published every weekday, except on federal holidays.
Office of Water
The Office of Water (OW) ensures drinking water is safe, and restores and maintains oceans, watersheds, and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities, and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants and wildlife.
Risk
The possibility of loss or injury
Management and supervisors
These are employees who directly supervise General or Occasional site workers. They are required to have the same training as the employees they are supervising plus an additional eight hours of specialized training.
Non-conventional Pollutants
Those pollutants that do not fall into the conventional pollutant or toxic/priority pollutant categories. Examples: chloride, iron, ammonia, color
Level D PPE
Work uniform affording minimal protection, used for nuisance contamination only. Level D can be used only when all atmospheric contaminants have been identified and concentrations measured and when it has been determined that there is no hazard to the respiratory system or to the skin.
ERG Guidebook
Yellow: lists chemicals numerically Blue: lists chemicals alphabetically Orange: provides recommendations for safety procedures Green: Isolation and protective action distance
Building Related Illness
diagnosable illness and the cause can be directly attributed to an indoor exposure to a chemical, biological or physical agent (e.g. Legionnaires Disease, CO poisoning, etc.)
Federal Register Act
federal law requiring agencies to make public disclosure of proposed rules, passed rules, and activities. Central location for filing documents for public inspection
Hazardous Material
is any item or agent (biological, chemical, radiological, and/or physical), which has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors.
Sick Building Syndrome
nonspecific symptoms (e.g. eye, nose or throat irritation, headache, etc.) that cannot be related to a well defined cause but appear to be related to time spent in a building
Vadose zone
the zone where water clings to solid matter in an unsaturated zone between the earth's surface and the water table
Mold sampling - biocassettes
»Used to detect viable spores/bacteria »Provides information on active mold growth »Bulk, surface or air samples can be cultured
CDC Category A Agents
•Anthrax •Botulism ( Botulinum toxin) •Plague •Smallpox •Tularemia •Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Filoviridae, Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Flaviviridae)
Sediment Control BMPs (Best Management Practices)
•Bale Barrier •Silt Fence •Sediment Trap •Sediment Basin •Sediment Berm
Methods for Reducing Erosion
•Diverting and Controlling Runoff Water •Planting and Maintaining Vegetation •Applying and Maintaining Mulches •Applying Soil Tackifiers
Noxious Weeds
•Field Bindweed •Cheatgrass •Russian Knapweed •Hoary Cress (White Top) •Canada Thistle•Wavyleaf Thistle (Gray Thistle) •Houndstongue •Common Burdock
Vegetation Evaluation
•Is there a uniform vegetation that is ≥ 70% of pre-disturbance levels? •Is the vegetation cover capable of providing erosion control equivalent to pre-existing conditions? •If yes to both questions, then the pad is considered "Stabilized". No further vegetation inspections.
Pitfalls in modeling
•Mass is not conserved •Over simplification •Concentrations exceed solubility limits •Forget to include known processes -Biodegradation -Natural attenuation •Misapply models
Fate of Substances
•Remain where it is •Migrate •Disintegrate or degrade •Advection-Transport of substance by movement of medium •Dispersion-Spreading of substance along and transverse to medium •Partitioning-Transport of substance from one media to another (water/air, soil/water) •Degradation-Biological, Heat, etc., (Refractory/Persistent)
Sediment Control
•Sediment control practices remove but rarely not all suspended particles •Good erosion control results in good sediment control but not vice versa •Sediment control should be considered secondary treatment
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)
•Solid waste management: Storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes •"cradle-to-grave" management of hazardous wastes •TSDF - Treatment Storage Disposal Facilities •Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) Corrective Action & Remediation
State Regulations
•State regulations and programs must be authorized by Federal Agencies •State regulations must be as stringent as the Federal regulations •State regulations can and are often times more stringent than Federal regulations
State regulations vs. Federal Regulations
•State regulations and programs must be authorized by Federal Agencies •State regulations must be as stringent as the Federal regulations •State regulations can and are often times more stringent than Federal regulations