What is a Hazardous Product?

A hazardous product is a substance whose use, storage, and disposal may pose a threat to human health, wildlife and the environment.  This threat is measured by measuring various properties of the substance.

Properties of Hazardous Products:

A product is considered hazardous when it contains one or more of the following properties:

• Flammable- Can be easily set on fire or ignited.
• Explosive/ Reactive- Can explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock, or pressure.
• Corrosive/Caustic-Can burn and destroy living tissues when brought in contact.
• Toxic/Poisonous: capable of causing injury or death through ingestion (eating or swallowing), inhalation (breathing), or absorption (through the skin). 
• Some toxic substances are known to cause cancer (carcinogens), genetic damage (mutagens), and fetal harm (teratogens).
• Radioactive- Can damage and destroy cells and chromosomal material.  Radioactive substances are known to cause cancer, mutations, and fetal harm.

What is Household Hazardous Waste?

A typical house can contain a vast number of hazardous products used for cleaning, painting, disinfecting, lubricating, killing pests and weeds, inside the house, yard, workshop, and garage.  These products may be toxic, poison, corrosive, combustible, flammable, or an irritant.  The leftover contents of such consumer products are known asHousehold Hazardous Waste or HHW.

Some Categories of Household Hazardous Waste Products:

Most household hazardous materials/wastes can be grouped into the following general categories:

1. Automotive Products
2. Household Cleaners
3. Cosmetics and Medicines
4. Paints and Solvents
5. Pesticides

Some Common Household Hazardous Waste:

Dangers of Improper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste:

When household hazardous waste products are used, stored and disposed of according to the label directions, they pose little or no hazard to people or the environment.  However, improper use, and disposal of these products endangers the health and safety of the people and animals, pollutes the neighborhood, and contaminates the environment. 

• If a household hazardous waste product is flushed down a toilet, sink, or drain, it is transported though the sewage system to treatment plants that is not equipped to handle hazardous waste. At treatment plants, hazardous waste interferes with the biological treatment process and can contaminate the effluent that runs into the river and the bio-solids that can’t be reused as fertilizer. When hazardous waste is thrown out into the street, it goes down storm drains leading into waterways.
• When it is left around the house, it has the potential to injure children and pets.
• Since household hazardous waste is not regulated by any federal, state, or local agency, it can be disposed of with regular trash without any penalty or liability.  However, when thrown in with the regular trash, household hazardous waste can injure sanitation workers. It may end up in landfills not intended or permitted for those types of wastes. This can create hazardous leachate which can contaminate groundwater and surface water.
• Sinkholes, cisterns and abandoned wells are linked directly to groundwater.  Dumping hazardous wastes in these depressions risks direct contamination of groundwater aquifers.
• If dumped in the backyard or ditch, hazardous waste can poison plant life and wildlife, contaminate the soil, compromise the health of children and adults contacting the soil, and filter through soil and groundwater.  If the ground gets over saturated, the waste may run overland to the nearest waterway.

What happens when hazardous waste products are flushed down the drain in Eagle County? 

The most important thing to know is that all wastewater plants are designed to treat biological material only. Most hazardous waste will be in a soluble untreatable form and pass through treatment and back into the river. Some materials will settle and collect into our solids which are accumulated at our solids handling facility where customers pick up for landscaping, gardening, etc. Cosmetics and medicines are becoming a major part of emerging contaminants which are a cause of endocrine disruptors. (Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with the normal function of the endocrine system)

Examples of endocrine cisruptors are:  hormones and metabolites (estradiols, testosterone, and progesterone), and lead. Some of the medications that have been identified are: antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines, antiepileptic medicines, blood lipid regulators, cough syrup, fragrances, hormones, pain medication, and x-ray contrast media.

These endocrine disrupting compounds are becoming a hot topic in the industry as they can impact fish that live in the stream and cause genetic mutations. 

Automotive products and oil based paints contain petroleum which will kill off our biological mass and large quantities will still pass through to the Eagle River. Some chemicals, such as degreasers, if dumped into landfills can easily travel through the ground and into the ground water proving to be difficult to remove. Pesticides are another group of emerging contaminants.

(The information in this particular section has been provided by Danny Bergeron, Health, Safety and Security Coordinator for ‘Eagle River Water and Sanitation District’.  For further information on how the hazardous products affect our water, please call Danny at 970-477-5463 or visit the website at www.erwsd.org)

Proper Disposal of Hazardous Waste:

• The safest way to dispose of a household hazardous waste product is to use the product until it is completely gone.
• If you can not use the product up, try to share with neighbors, friends, or with professionals who may need the product.
• Read the product's label to see if specific disposal instructions are listed. If not, or if you are unsure about the proper disposal for a product, contact the manufacturer or call your local government office before disposing of the product.  If mentioned, follow manufacture's directions for proper disposal.
• If possible, try to recycle the material.
• If it is not recyclable, take it to a household hazardous waste collection site.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection:

For the last 12 years, the Eagle County Landfill has hosted an annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, to help the residents get rid of their unwanted household hazardous waste products.  This is offered at no cost to the resident and is an all day event.  Residents have to make an appointment, prior to bringing in their waste.  In 2008, the event was held on April 21.

There are several disadvantages to the one-day collection event.  Residents may or may not be in town on the particular day the event is held.  In some cases, when people have less storage space and a large quantity of household hazardous waste products, it is cumbersome for them to hold on to them till the next collection day. 

To serve the residents in a more enhanced manner, Eagle County is opening a permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at the landfill in Wolcott.  This facility is scheduled to be open to the public and ‘Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators’ (businesses) in November 2008.

Goal of the Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Program:

The primary goal of the Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Program is to provide the residents of the County with a safe, convenient, and free method of disposal for their household hazardous waste. This will have the benefit of preventing hazardous materials from entering the landfill.  It will also help to lessen contamination in surface and ground water, and protect sanitation workers, children, and animals from the dangers of improper disposal of household hazardous waste.

The household hazardous waste program will also have a place where residents will have a chance to take a look at some household hazardous waste products, and take anything they require at no charge to them.  This location will be known as the ‘Reuse, Receive and Recycle Area’.

Goal of the Eagle County Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator Program:

CESQGs are subject to federal and state regulations for proper disposal of hazardous waste.  CESQGs of hazardous waste are permitted to generate a) no more than 100 kilograms (220 lbs or 25 gallons) of hazardous waste and b) no more than 1 kilogram (about 2.2 pounds or less than a quart) of acutely hazardous waste.  They can’t store more than 1000 kg of hazardous waste on site at any given time.

According to Colorado hazardous waste regulations, CESQGs have two primary responsibilities- a) They must identify all the hazardous waste they generate and b) they must ensure that the waste is treated or disposed off at a facility approved to take it.

According to Colorado law CESQGs are not allowed to dispose of their hazardous waste onsite.  The goal of the Eagle County ‘Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator Program’ will be to assist local businesses in disposing of their hazardous wastes in a safer, timely, and more economical manner.  This will also have the benefit of reducing or eliminating improper disposal of CESQG waste in the Eagle County landfill.

The program will be available at a reasonable cost to the CESQGs based on the cost of testing, packaging, and disposal of their waste. The Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste facility is starting a CEWADE program (Conditionally Exempt Waste Assistance Disposal and Education Program) to help small businesses to identify and dispose off their hazardous waste.  For further information on this program, please contact Pallavi Mukerjee, Hazardous Waste Specialist at 970-926-3626.

Location and Directions to the Facility:
The household hazardous waste facility is located at the Eagle County Landfill.  It is two miles north of Wolcott off of Highway 131. The directions to the facility are as follows:

• Turn right from Highway 131 just past the two mile marker onto County Road 49.
• Follow this road until it forks, about a mile, and take the left fork. 
• When you pass the second gate, make a right.
• You will see a sign for the new household hazardous waste facility.

Service Area of the Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Program: The Eagle County HHW Facility will be open only to residents of Eagle County . This includes residents of the towns of Gypsum, Eagle, Wolcott, Edwards, Basalt, Avon, Eagle-Vail, El Jebel, Minturn, Red Cliff, Vail, and unincorporated Eagle County. 

What documents do residents need to bring for disposal of their household hazardous waste at the facility?

Residents are  required to furnish a proof of residence prior to acceptance of their household hazardous waste in the facility. The proof of residence may include, but is not limited to, a drivers license, voter ID, tax certificate, utility bill or lease agreement.  Any other document which establishes that a person is a resident of Eagle County may also be used as a proof of residence.

The household waste specialist and the staff will provide courteous, friendly and prompt service to the residents.  Residents will have the opportunity of providing their input about the service they received. There will be a form available at the office for suggestions, ideas, comments and concerns.  These forms will be reviewed by the solid waste manager and the hazardous waste specialist. 

The HHW facility will be fenced to prevent unauthorized access into the facility.  Residents will be permitted to access only to the receiving and reuse area.  Areas accessible to the residents will be separated from inaccessible areas by a yellow/red dotted line marked on the floor.  Furthermore, a sign “Authorized Personnel Only’ will be posted in front of areas to be accessed only by the HHW. 

Timings of the Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Program:

The Eagle County HHW facility will have established hours of operation to control the flow of materials and people at the facility.  The facility will be open to the public, three days a week as per the following schedule:

 Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m

 Saturdays from 8 am to 1 p.m. 

Residents do not need an appointment prior to coming in to dispose of their household hazardous waste.

The facility will be open to Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQGs) on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  All Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators are required to have their waste stream approved by the hazardous waste specialist before it is accepted in the facility.  They are also required to have an appointment to come in and dispose of their household hazardous waste in the facility.

The HHW facility will only be open if the landfill is open. The HHW facility will close due to adverse weather conditions, including high winds, as directed by the hazardous waste specialist and the solid waste manager.

Frequency of Visits: 

There is no limit to the number of times a resident can use the household hazardous waste facility during the year.

Waste Acceptable in the Facility:

The Eagle County HHW  will collect household hazardous wastes and CESQG waste,  and serve as a holding facility until the wastes are picked up by a contractor certified to haul each type of waste,  as classified by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The types of wastes accepted at the facility are classified as follows:

1. Latex paint:  An example is water-based paint
2. Compressed gasses:  Examples include aerosol cans, small propane cylinders, and backyard barbecue propane cylinders
3. Flammable/combustible liquids:  Any liquid that is labeled flammable, combustible, or is ignitable through testing.  An example is oil-based paint, petroleum products, gasoline, and diesel.
4. Flammable solids:  May also be considered reactive materials.  Some are self-reactive, thermally unstable, and can undergo a strongly exothermic decomposition.  Examples are sodium and aluminum dust.
5. Oxidizing materials:  They can support combustion.  Examples include potassium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and many pool chemicals.
6. Poison/toxic materials: liquids and solids:  They are capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection.  Examples include pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, mercury equipment, or any other liquid or solid that is considered toxic and does not fit any other DOT hazard class.
7. Corrosive materials: liquids and solids:  They are capable of burning the skin and corroding steel.  Examples include household cleaners, battery acids, and muriatic acid.  Any material thought to be corrosive will be tested to determine the pH.  Acids and bases will be kept separate.
8. Miscellaneous materials:  Examples include fluorescent bulbs, polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCB) ballast.
9. Motor oil and antifreeze:  Examples include used motor oil, petroleum, and antifreeze.
10. Batteries:  Household batteries segregated by type: alkaline, lithium, mercury, and nickel cadmium. 
11. Ammunition:  Examples include Class C fireworks and ammunition up to 50 caliber rounds.
12. Sharps including, but not limited to, hypodermic syringes and needles, scalpels, razor blades, and lancets.  The Eagle County HHW facility will accept sharps.  However, sharps will not be handled physically by Eagle County HHW facility staff.   There will be a sharps container in a designated location in the lab.  The staff will provide the container to the resident who will drop their sharps into the container. The sharps container will be closed and then returned to its location. Once the container is full, it will be transported to the Eagle County Health and Human Services for disposal (through Steri Cycle).  There will be a second sharps container to act as a backup in the facility at all times.
13. Mercury thermostats and bulbs: examples include mercury thermostats and light bulbs containing mercury.

Electronic Waste Collection:

We are working on this at present and will have more news in the upcoming months......

Waste Unacceptable in the Facility:

Waste not accepted in the Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste facility includes the following:

1. Explosives (DOT class 1)
2. Radioactive Materials (DOT Class 7)
3. Shock Sensitive Wastes
4. Waste that can’t be characterized by the HAZCAT testing system
5. Medical/ Biohazard Waste – this includes human blood, blood products, body fluids, specimens and wastes from labs, carcasses, body parts and bedding exposed to pathogens in research.  (The only exception to this is sharps as mentioned above).

The hazardous waste specialist will notify the Eagle County Health and Human Services and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment if any unacceptable materials are inadvertently received.

Alternative Disposal of Unacceptable Waste

Some options for alternative disposal of unacceptable waste include the following:

• Biohazard /Medical Waste Disposal- 866-783-7422
• Explosives- 911
• Radioactive Waste- Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environement -1-303-692-3320

Resident Household Hazardous Waste Drop Area:

The HHW Program will have procedures in place for organized resident to drop off household hazardous waste.   The resident will drive up to the area where the staff will supervise the removal of waste from vehicles, and transport it to the receiving counter.  Then the resident will be required to sign a certification statement.

Unknown or Unlabelled Wastes:

The HHW program will have procedures in place to receive unknown or unlabelled wastes. Firstly, an attempt will be made to question the owner about the nature of the waste.  If the owner can identify the waste, a label will be affixed to the container for identification purposes. If the owner can’t identify the waste, a label containing the words, ‘Unknown Waste, Needs Lab Test’ will be affixed to the container and it will be placed in the lab.

The Eagle County Hazardous Waste Specialist or an authorized staff will attempt to determine the nature of any unknown/unlabelled waste with the help of HAZCAT testing kit, to the nearest DOT class. The test will be performed strictly in the lab.  If the nature of the waste is identified, the container will be relabeled and transferred to the storage with the same class. Any waste that is placed and then identified in the lab will be documented in a binder to be kept in the lab.

If these methods don’t help in determination of the waste, the facility will return the unknown waste to the owner and inform them of other safe disposal options, including company names and phone numbers. Alternatively, the facility can handle the disposal of the unknown product subject to the costs required for its disposal.

What will happen to the waste that is collected?

Wastes will be segregated as per their hazard.    Waste segregation has several advantages. These include the prevention of unwanted or potentially dangerous reactions; the protection of personnel from potentially unsafe working environments, the ease in handling and disposing of wastes, the reduction of disposal costs, and less waste in the landfill.

The staff of the HHW facility will place the above segregated waste in appropriate secondary containers or to the outside storage area before the end of the working day.  All drums will be labeled with the type of waste and DOT hazard class. Drums with compatible waste will be stored together.  Drums will be stored in an orderly manner.

The hazardous waste facility will have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for all household hazardous waste that is stored in the facility.  The MSDS will be in a binder and will be placed in three locations for easy access-a) The office, b) Receiving area  c) General work area.

Packaging and Disposal

• The Hazardous Waste Specialist will only use containers that have been approved by the DOT for transportation of hazardous materials.
• The containers to be used will be polytotes, drums and boxes.
• Before being offered for transportation, the Hazardous Waste Specialist will ensure that all containers have been packaged as per DOT regulations, are neatly and clearly labeled and are in good condition for transportation.
• The Eagle County HHW facility will only use transporters who have an EPA ID number.
• The Eagle County HHW facility will use only those disposal companies which have an EPA ID number.
• The Eagle County HHW may use recycling companies to dispose some recyclable products.

What can you do to ensure proper disposal of waste?

• If in doubt about the proper procedure of disposal of a household hazardous waste product, please call the manufacturer or the household hazardous waste facility for guidelines.
• Please don’t dispose of household hazardous waste (even small quantities can be toxic to the environment and health) in the trash, landfill, drain, sinkhole, backyard, or ditch.
• Please bring hazardous waste products in their original, labeled, sealed containers whenever possible.
• Never mix chemicals together.
• No container will be returned, so bring the waste in disposable boxes or bags for quick removal from your vehicle.
• If possible, please sort out the materials by the following categories- household cleaners, paint related materials, automotive products, and lawn and garden care products.
• For your safety, please transport the product in the trunk of your car, or the back of your pick up, away from the passenger area.
• For your safety of your pets and our staff, please leave your pets at home, or else, keep them restrained in your vehicle.

Are there Safer Alternatives to Household Hazardous Wastes?

The Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Collection program will also educate residents about safe management of household chemicals, waste reduction, and recycling. The optimum solution is to minimize the generation of hazardous waste through the adoption of safer alternatives. 

Who can you contact for further information?

For further information, please contact:

Ron Rasnic                    Solid Waste Manager                           970-328-3465

Pallavi Mukerjee           Hazardous Waste Specialist                  970-328-3468

Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility

Mailing Address                                            Physical Address
P. O. Box- 250                                                2250 Highway 131
Eagle, CO 81631                                           Wolcott, CO  81655