|
Due to technical issues with the Hennepin County online hazardous waste reporting system, the response date for completing hazardous waste management plan summaries (MPS) has been extended to Friday, January 22, 2016.
Many users of the hazardous waste portal began experiencing problems with the system shortly after notifications were sent about annual reporting and licensing. To address those problems and to ensure that generators wouldn’t need to submit their waste data multiple times, the portal was taken down for repairs on November 10, 2015. The portal went back online on December 22, and the system has since been functioning very well.
If you haven’t already completed your 2016 MPS, please do so as soon as possible. Invoices for the 2016 license period will be created in mid-February, and license fees are due on March 31.
To access the online reporting system, visit www.hennepinhazwaste.us and log into your existing hazardous waste portal account. If you are unfamiliar with the licensing process, see the MPS Instructions to get started.
 We are excited to announce that Hennepin County’s hazardous waste generator training can now be accessed and reviewed any time online.
The training is split up into the following sections:
|
- Introduction
- Step 1: Evaluate your waste and determine your generator size
- Step 2: Notification and licensing
- Step 3: Storage
- Step 4: Transport and disposal
- Step 5A: Emergency prevention planning and training (for all sizes)
- Step 5B: Emergency prevention planning and training (SQG & LQG requirements)
After a participant successfully reviews each section, a certificate of completion can be downloaded and printed to document that the supplemental training was completed.
The online training format allows you and others in your company to go through the training at your own pace without needing to spend an entire day at an in-person class. Take advantage of this free training opportunity now.
Any business or government agency that generates, transports or treats a non-exempt hazardous waste in Minnesota must obtain a Hazardous Waste Identification Number from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). They must also notify the MPCA when changes occur.
The Hazardous Waste Identification Number process has been transitioned from a paper form to an online system. The MPCA’s Notification of Regulated Waste Activity e-Service must now be used to apply for an identification number, update activities or other information under an existing ID or terminate an ID.
Get instructions or watch a video on how to set up an e-Service account and apply or update information. For information on what sites must obtain HWIDs and where, see the MPCA factsheet Obtain a Hazardous Waste Identification Number.
Hennepin County recognizes generators and facilities for having a hazardous waste program that is in full compliance with hazardous waste rules and regulations.
Since April 2015, the county has conducted 78 inspections where generators have been in full compliance. The no violations listing not only shows that it is possible for any size generator and facility to be in full compliance at the time of the inspection, but that it also happens with some frequency.
See the list of generators with no violations from April 2015 to January 2016.
Hennepin County maintains a list of enforcement outcomes from hazardous waste violations on our website to reinforce the importance of compliance with hazardous waste and tank regulations.
The list includes recently resolved civil and criminal cases, including fines and penalties assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or Hennepin County. All of the cases originated from violations found during hazardous waste generator, hazardous waste facility or tank inspections at businesses in Hennepin County.
The county has resolved seven enforcement cases for hazardous waste violations since April 2015.
See the list of enforcement outcomes from April 2015 to January 2016.
Aerosol containers and compressed cylinders added to list of universal wastes
Aerosol containers and compressed gas cylinders may now be managed as universal waste. Although this change will not be officially added to the Minnesota universal waste rules until the next rule making, the state is allowing this now as the rule is in place.
Universal wastes are a subset of hazardous wastes that may be managed in Minnesota under reduced requirements. These wastes are referred to as universal because, at some point, almost every business, non-profit organization, and government agency generates them. Aerosols and compressed gas cylinders were added to Minnesota’s universal waste category to reduce the regulatory burden of disposing of these wastes.
See the updated Universal Wastes factsheet for more information.
Puncturing of hazardous waste aerosols and gas cylinders no longer allowable
Although puncturing aerosols and gas cylinders has been prohibited under the Hazardous Waste Rules for some time, the MPCA has not enforced this prohibition and has allowed generators and collection sites to puncture hazardous waste aerosols for disposal. The MPCA has decided discontinue this allowance due to changes in recycling opportunities and more restrictive air quality goals.
Hazardous waste aerosols and gas cylinders may no longer be punctured or vented in Minnesota after July 1, 2016, unless all hazardous waste gases and liquids are captured and properly disposed. Charcoal and activated carbon filters do not capture hazardous waste propellants or gases for proper disposal.
Remember, this restriction applies only to hazardous waste aerosols and gas cylinders. You may puncture waste aerosols that have been shown to be empty or evaluated as non-hazardous as long as any unavoidable liquid residuals are collected and properly managed.
See the updated Waste Aerosols and Compressed Gas Cylinders factsheet for more information.
Effective January 1, 2016, wheel weights containing lead or mercury cannot be used to balance vehicle wheels and tires in Minnesota. In addition, no one may sell or distribute wheel balancing weights or equipment containing lead or mercury within the state.
This ban is being enacted to protect the environment. A significant percentage of external wheel weights fall off during use, which can contaminate soil and water, and both types of toxic weights are often mismanaged at the end of product life when taken out of service. Lead and mercury are both highly toxic, and non-toxic alternative products are readily available at lower cost and with superior performance.
For more information, see the MPCA’s information about lead and mercury wheel weights.
On October 1, 2015, the EPA strengthened the ozone standard to 70 parts per billion (ppb), down from the previous standard of 75 ppb, which was set in 2008. All areas of Minnesota currently meet the strengthened ozone standard, and the level of ozone pollution in Minnesota continues to improve due to efforts to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from power plants, vehicles and other industries.
However, there is uncertainty as to whether Minnesota will continue to meet the ozone standard in the future. The impacts of climate change, which may result in hotter summers and more frequent wildfire smoke events, economic growth and increased global impacts may result in higher ozone levels despite new emission reductions. Additionally, as science continues to show health impacts at lower and lower levels of ozone, air quality standards may become more stringent to protect public health.
Businesses can reduce VOC emissions by making changes to manufacturing processes and heating equipment and through facility-wide opportunities such as reducing vehicle miles traveled, purchasing environmentally friendly supplies and improving energy efficiency. The MPCA will be offering grants to small businesses for VOC-reduction projects. Learn more and sign up for email notifications.
 A state law requiring commercial buildings to recycle went into effect in 2016. The law requires property owners with buildings in the seven-county metro area with a contract for four cubic yards or more of trash per week to recycle at least three materials by January 1, 2016. Possible material types include, but are not limited to, paper, glass, plastic, metal and organics.
Businesses can get technical assistance, funds for recycling bins and other program expenses, and free labels and outreach materials from Hennepin County. Learn more about the resources available.
Are your furnace, door seals, recycling program and lighting working at their best? If you answered “I don’t know,” consider contacting the Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) for assistance.
RETAP provides free energy-efficiency and waste-reduction assessments for Minnesota’s small businesses and institutions.
During an assessment, an experienced team of retired professionals will tour your facility, analyze your utility bills, and provide a written report with prioritized recommendations and estimated financial and environmental savings.
Recommendations may include behavior changes, maintenance improvements or retrofits. Though there is no obligation to implement RETAP’s recommendations, a high percentage of surveyed clients found them worthwhile. The average savings per client last year was more than $2,000.
Since RETAP began in 2001, more than 200 businesses and institutions have benefited from RETAP assessments. To find out more or to request a free assessment, visit www.pca.state.mn.us/retap or contact Mike Vennewitz, RETAP Coordinator, at 612-781-1307 or mvennewitz@yahoo.com.
Apply now for a 2016 MnTAP intern
 The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) is currently seeking project proposals from Minnesota businesses for its 2016 summer intern program. Businesses interested in reducing waste, conserving water, and improving energy efficiency are encouraged to apply.
Proposed projects are evaluated for impact potential, project scope, and company interest and commitment. Interns are chosen based on their educational backgrounds and leadership capabilities.
MnTAP anticipates supporting up to 15 projects this summer, with several projects focusing on water conservation in the seven county metro area. Other projects will focus on paint efficiency, source reduction, energy efficiency, and pollution prevention.
Businesses can apply until February 1, 2016, and applications are reviewed upon receipt. Apply now.
|
|
