RE: Waste Disposal at Universities

["John McCormick" <J_McCormick_Bionomics@msn.com>]

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From: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu on behalf of David Scherer
Sent: 	Wednesday, June 19, 1996 6:01 PM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Re: Waste Disposal at Universities

Dave, in response to Kent's question regarding mixed waste generation, you 
wrote;

>    b.  Does this encourage researchers to put expensive waste stream 
materials (e.g., chemical waste) that they are charged for into radioactive 
waste resulting in mixed waste?

No.  We have a blanket prohibition on mixed waste (other than LSC cocktail, 
which we incinerate).  Some researchers have used and/or generated mixed 
waste, but the source of the material must agree to take back the resultant 
mixture.

What happens to the mixed waste once it is returned to the generator?  How do 
you deal with the 90 day storage limit for the hazardous waste component of 
the mixed waste? How do you deal with HPLC fluids which are not considered 
Scintillation but are mixed wastes?

You also wrote:

We are fortunate to have a rather large facility for 
storing/decaying/processing waste, a boiler plant permitted to blend LSC 
cocktail with their fuel, and an incinerator permitted for carcasses and
C-14/H-3 trash.  Your space and facilities are probably more limited in
Philadelphia.

One is to assume then, that your boiler plant has a RCRA or similar permit 
that allows them to burn hazardous wastes such as the F listed solvents found 
in scintillation cocktails.  If not then can we assume you are required to 
burn only the so called "aqueous" cocktails and have a QA program to prevent 
hazardous waste from being mixed in with these cocktails.


John McCormick
423-376-0053