Hazardous Waste Management

Schools generate many types of hazardous, chemical wastes in different areas of the school.

A hazardous waste is defined as a substance that is corrosive, flammable, reactive or toxic. Hazardous wastes need to be managed from their initial point of generation until their ultimate disposal known as "cradle to grave" responsibility.

Examples of areas in a school where hazardous wastes are generated include the following:

• Science rooms: flammable liquids such as acetone, corrosive materials such as hydrochloric acid, toxic heavy metal compounds such as copper chloride.
• Industrial and Vocational Arts (art, photography, wood and auto shops): photo developer, used fixes with silver, dyes, inks, paint, thinners, degreasing solvents, sealers.
• Maintenance and Grounds Activities: paints, aerosols, oils, thinners, adhesives, sealers fluorescent light bulbs, batteries.

There are strict environmental regulations governing the proper and safe disposal of hazardous wastes. The Seattle School District follows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington State Department of Ecology, and King County Local Hazardous Waste Program's hazardous waste management requirements to make certain our schools are as safe as possible from chemical/waste hazards.

All hazardous waste disposal is coordinated through the Risk Management office. We use licensed and certified hazardous waste contractors to appropriately package, label, and transport our wastes for proper and safe disposal to an EPA permitted hazardous waste disposal or recycling facility.

We encourage our schools to reduce or eliminate as many of their waste streams as possible, particularly those chemicals that pose a high risk. We promote using less toxic materials and storing only what chemicals they need. ??Minimizing the amount of hazardous waste generated lowers the associated disposal costs, potential spills, recordkeeping requirements and above all, the potential health and safety hazards.

From 2000 to 2005, our District benefited from a King County Program, "Rehab-The Lab". This program paid 100% of the costs to identify, remove and dispose several tons of high risk or excessive chemicals from all of our middle and high school science labs.

We continue to regularly identify and remove hazardous chemicals for appropriate waste disposal.

If you would like additional information regarding our District hazardous waste management program, please contact Dave Wick at 206-252-0529 or e-mail dwick@seattleschools.org.