UPDATED 02/21/96

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR

MECHANICAL REPAIR FACILITIES

Best management practices can be thought of as using "good housekeeping"

practices. Listed below are several procedures to operate your facility

and minimize the risk of contamination to the environment.

1. A waste oil and waste fluid collection area must be set up. This area

must have a bermed impervious surface and also be under cover.

Wastes are to be stored in clearly marked containers that are in good

condition. Leaking containers must be replaced. Strippers, chlorinated

solvents and flammable solvents must be kept separately. Antifreeze/coolant

must also be stored separately. All waste must be segregated. Therefore,

no mixing of waste streams should be done.

a. Waste oil is to be recycled and taken by a permitted waste

oil hauler.

b. Chlorinated solvents, strippers or flammable solvents must

be recycled by a permitted solvent recycler or disposed of

as hazardous waste. This waste must be shipped by a

permitted hazardous waste hauler to an approved EPA

treatment or disposal facility.

c. Antifreeze must be collected and shipped by an approved

hauler or recycled using a certified recycling unit.

d. Used oil filters must be collected and handled by a

permitted hauler or recycler. All fluids must be drained

from filters prior to disposal. These filters cannot be

disposed of in the trash/dumpster unless a hazardous waste

profile indicates otherwise and approval is granted from

this department. Oil filters can be drained and crushed

and sold to an approved metal recyclers (the ones that are

able to handle the filter.) A list of oil filter recyclers

is available upon request.

e. Refrigerants must be collected with an approved refrigerant

recovery machine. Facility must have at least one (1)

person certified to use the machine.

2. Receipts and/or manifests for all waste generated on site must

be kept at your facility for a minimum of three (3) years and

made available for review by DERM.

3. Engines must be stored on an impervious surface and under cover

due to potential leaks from filters and fluids inside the

engine. All used parts with oil and/or grease must also be

stored on an impervious surface. All fluids should be removed

from all gas tanks, transmission, crank cases, oil filters, etc.

prior to crushing or storing. Small parts can be drained of

all fluids and disposed in the dumpster. All work should be

done undercover in an impervious surface.

4. Small oil spills may be cleaned with absorbent pads that can be

reused several times.

5. Steam cleaning, pressure cleaning and/or parts washing may not

be done over open ground.

a. Parts washing must be done in a container or parts washer.

The parts can be rinsed or air dried over the parts

cleaning container. Absolutely no fluid, not even rinse

water, is to be disposed of to open ground, storm drains,

septic tanks or any drainage structure. Research has shown

that this rinse water contains solvents, metals, oil and

grease. Dirty parts washing fluid may be recycled or

disposed of properly, as previously discussed above. A

permitted parts washer contractor who brings new fluid and

takes away the sludge and dirty fluid is the preferred

disposal method.

b. Steam cleaning and/or pressure cleaning must be done in an

area designed to collect and contain the cleaning effluent.

The system may recycle, collect or treat the effluent.

1. If detergents or solvents are not used, an oil/water

separator connected to sanitary sewer, with proper

maintenance, will usually allow effluent to meet sewer

standards.

2. If detergents or solvents are used, the oil and grease

are emulsified and the separator would no longer

function properly. In these cases, treatment or

recycling systems must be used. If the treated water

meets sewer standards, it can be discharged to the

sewer; or for existing facilities on septic tank, it

can be hauled to a sewage treatment plant by a

permitted septic tank hauler. No industrial waste may

be discharged into septic tanks.

***PLANS FOR STEAM CLEANING AND/OR PRESSURE CLEANING SYSTEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO DERM FOR APPROVAL BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.

6. Tires may be hauled away by a permitted hauler to an approved

facility. Single dump permit letters and coupons for facilities

that regularly dispose of tires may be obtained from Metro-Dade

Department of Solid Waste Management (594-1500).

7. Special attention should be paid to storm drain locations (also

known as storm sewers). Storm drains are designed to help

alleviate rainwater build up. These drains are not connected to

the sanitary sewer system, but rather assist in allowing the

rainwater to drain into the ground and groundwater. Therefore,

industrial discharges should not be allowed to drain into these

storm drains. Areas near storm drains must be kept free of oil,

grease and other contaminants so that rainwater does not wash

these materials into the storm drains.

8. Used lead-acid batteries must be sent to a recycler. Batteries

must be stored on a concrete or other impervious surface and

under cover until shipment.

9. Do not discharge used coolant, test tank or flush out waters

into septic tanks, storm drains, sanitary sewers, soakage pits

or onto the ground surface.

a. Most test tank water, boil out tank sludge, and associated

wash and rinsewaters are considered hazardous waste when

dirty, due high metal concentrations. Test tank water and

rinsewaters must be treated, recycled or collected.

1. If a treatment system is used, the treated effluent

may be discharged into sanitary sewer if it meets

sewer standards. The remaining sludge may have to be

disposed of as hazardous.

2. A recycling system may be used to filter the test tank

water to be reused as clean test tank water. The

filter may have to be disposed of as hazardous.

3. If the test tank water is neither recycled or treated,

it must be collected. It may then be tested to

determine proper disposal. If this water meets sewer

standards it may be disposed of via sanitary sewer.

If the facility is on septic tank and the waste meets

sewer standards, it may be taken by an approved septic

tank hauler. if the test tank water is hazardous, it

must be disposed of by an approved transporter.

4. The boil out tank sludge must be properly handled as a

hazardous waste.

9. Rags used during mechanical repairs or cleaning processes which

become contaminated with waste oil or hazardous materials such

as solvents, ink, etc. are considered hazardous wastes and may

be handled by an approved rag service or an approved hazardous

waste transporter. Used rags must not be disposed of in the

trash/dumpster unless a hazardous waste profile indicates

otherwise and approval is granted by this department.

10. Facilities that perform AC repair must have equipment to

recapture and/or recycle the refrigerant. Said equipment

requirements are as follow:

- EPA or UL listed and approved

- able to recover at least 80% -90% of refrigerant

- refrigerant storage containers DOT or UL approved

- for servicing low pressure equipment the unit must be able to

pull a vacuum of at least 29" Hg.

***In all aforementioned situations where the waste is deemed to be

hazardous, a permitted hazardous waste transporter must be used to

transport the waste to a federally approved hazardous waste disposal

facility. Hazardous waste manifests must be maintained at your

facility. The facility generating the waste is required to obtain an

Environmental Protection Agency identification number, unless

classified as a conditionally exempt generator, by contacting:

Bureau of Waste Planning and Regulation

Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection

Twin Towers Office Building

2600 Blair Stone Road

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400

(904)488-4805

11. Storage

1. Facilities storing large amounts of chemicals or fuels are

required to provide secondary containment for all storage

areas. This containment area should be able to hold 110% of

the largest single tank to be stored in this area. Secondary

containment guidelines are available upon request. Plans

must be submitted to this department and written approval

obtained before construction.

2. In large storage areas, there must be aisle space between

storage products. This will enable inspection of the

container for leaks and/or corrosion. Incompatible chemicals

or materials should be stored separately.

Pollution Prevention Suggestion

The reduction or elimination, at the source, of discharges or

emissions to the environment.

1. Waste fluids should be segregated and kept separately. This

prevents mixing incompatible substances and prevents

contamination of a non-hazardous waste by a hazardous waste.

This also allows them each to be recycled or disposed of

appropriately and reduce disposal costs.

2. Recycling of waste fluids is a preferred option. This can either

be done on-site or shipped to an approved recycler off-site.

Units for filtering, adding the necessary additives and restoring

coolant are available. (Installation of such units must be

approved by DERM and the Fire Dept.)

3. For small to medium facilities, it may be more economical to have

a parts washer contractor replenish the parts cleaner and remove

the spent solution, than to install a solvent recycling still.

4. Large facilities, on-site solvent recycling stills are usually

very economical with payback periods of only 2-3 yeas.

5. Alternative cleaners are available (e.g. special water based

cleaners) that replace traditional solvent. These can be used in

a variety of system including dip tanks, power washers with jet

sprays, or ultrasonic immersion tanks.

6. Parts cleaning can be done in 3 stages

1. Preclean to remover heavier dirt (e.g. with a wire brush)

2. Sink #1 as an initial sink to do heavier cleaning. Recycled

only after full use.

3. Sink #2 as a final sink for precision cleaning (Used as

make-up for sink #1).

7. Parts can be removed slowly from solvent sinks and allowed to sit

a few minutes on "dip racks" which drain back to the sink.

Rollaway covers that are kept closed when not in use can be used

on the sink. Sludges should be removed often and properly

disposed, but the solution itself can be used many times.

8. Stop leaks quickly. Drip pans can be placed to catch leaks.

Spot mopping with a bucket (and proper disposal of the water) can

be performed. Floor cleaning machines are available that will

spray a cleaning solution, scrub with brushes, and vacuum up the

solution (to be disposed off properly.) Absorbent pads are

available that allow the oil to be "squeezed out" into a waste

oil drum. The pads can be reused several times.

9. Brake parts should be recycled and/or sent to the manufacturer

for relining when possible.

10. Tires may be recapped for reuse.

11. Scrap parts can be sold to metal recyclers.

All mechanical repair facilities are required to obtain an Annual Pollution Control

Operating Permit.

Questions will be answered by the Industrial Facilities Section staff at (305)372-6600.

Any questions concerning pollution prevention please call the Pollution Prevention Program at (305)372-6784.