Contacts for the Department of Health Services

Contacts

Department of Health Services
Main Number	(213) 620-2380
Alternate Technology	(916) 324-1807
Hazardous Waste Haulers	(916) 324-2428
Agencies with Waste Reduction Programs
County of Los Angeles - Health	(213) 744-3223
County of Los Angeles - Public Works	(818) 458-3561
City of Santa Monica	(213) 458-8228
California Waste Exchange	(916) 324-1867
Used Oil Recycling Program	(800) 553-2962
Small Quantity Hazardous Waste Generator Information and Technical Assistance Clearinghouse	(800) 458-5886
Small Business Assistance Loans
South Coast Air Quality Management District	(818) 571-5196
U.S. Small Business Administration	(213) 894-6852
Hazardous Waste Reduction Loan Program	(213) 382-4300 or (213) 739-2999

Hazardous Waste Reduction

General Guidelines

City of Santa Monica
Department of General Services
(213) 458-8228

Hazardous waste generation costs you money! Regulatory compliance, liability, transportation, and hazardous waste disposal costs are rapidly increasing. For example, California's hazardous waste disposal base rate increased 75% between 1987 and 1988.

It's good business to reduce hazardous wastes.

Not only do you save money by reducing hazardous waste, but you earn recognition as a community leader in the fight against environmental pollution. Growing concern over public health has led the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban nearly one-third of and federally-regulated hazardous wastes from landfills. And, the EPA anticipates completely banning all untreated hazardous wastes by 1990.

A hazardous waste program consists of a series of in-house policies and procedures which reduce or eliminate hazardous waste generation, including:

• Good housekeeping and maintenance programs to eliminate spills, leaks, and out-of-date products
  
• Substitution of hazardous raw materials with non-hazardous or less hazardous materials
  
• Installation of equipment to produce little or no waste
  
• Modification of equipment to enhance in-line material recovery or recycling options
  
• Redesign or reformulation of end products that require less or no hazardous material inputs
  
• Installation of closed loop production systems
  
• On-site recycling for re-use
  
• Off-site recycling for re-use
  
• Waste exchange with other industries which can use your wast materials as raw materials

Commitment

The success of a hazardous waste reduction program is largely dependent upon the commitment of all employees to the program, from upper management to on-line production workers. This assures all employees of the financial and technical resources to carry out a program that is defined and supported by management.

Information

Detailed information on the nature and volume of waste generated by a facility must precede waste reduction planning. Production material balances and comprehensive waste audits are proven methods for compiling this information. A waste reduction program must address all avenues of waste disposal, including air, land, and sewer. Otherwise, program planning and performance evaluation may not be reliable.

Planning/Goal Setting

A comprehensive hazardous waste reduction program is built on a foundation of detailed and structured plans. These plans provide not only the agenda for operational changes within your facility, but also realistic waste reduction goals and timetables.

Alternatives

All potential sources of waste reduction should be identified and considered. Each facilities' size, design, and processes will determine the most feasible waste reduction techniques to implement.

Monitor and Evaluate

The effectiveness of a hazardous waste reduction program should be monitored and evaluated. Employees are a valuable source of information on plant procedures and problems and they should be encouraged and rewarded. Alternative waste reduction techniques should be compared to currently practiced methods for effectiveness