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The most accurate way to determine lead, asbestos, PCBs and other environmental hazards at a site is to hire an independent hazard assessment expert to survey for them. An assessment contractor should be separate and financially independent from any environmental remediation companies that could be hired to remove the hazards.
The Dangerous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program does not certify or give accreditation to laboratories that perform dangerous waste designation analysis. However, two other Ecology regulations, the Clean Water Act and Model Toxics Cleanup, do require accredited labs for their purposes.
Choosing an Analytical Laboratory for Dangerous Waste Testing , Ecology publication #00-04-022, August, 2000 is available on Ecology's main web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ . Look under Publications, and then under Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction.
Ecology maintains a List of Environmental Laboratories accredited for water quality testing on Ecologys main web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ . Look under Environmental Labs, and then under Environmental Laboratory Accreditation.
For a free copy of the above publications contact your Regional Department of Ecology Office, or Ecology HQ at (360) 407-6752 or e-mail your request to dzin461@ecy.wa.gov.
Sampling and testing requirements are found in the Dangerous Waste Regulations, Chapter 173–303 WAC Exit Ecology, Section -110, Sampling and Testing Methods. All methods and publications referenced or listed in section -110 are incorporated into Ecology’s regulations.
Test documents and procedures are listed in WAC 173-303-110 Exit Ecology. Some publications that discuss dangerous waste Test Methods are:
Publications for air emission standards and several additional publications are given in WAC 173-303-110 but are not listed here. See WAC 173-303-110 Exit Ecology for the full list.
Substantial changes to the testing methods described above will be made only after the department has provided adequate opportunity for public review and comment on the proposed changes.
Any person may request the department to approve an equivalent testing method by submitting a petition, prepared in accordance with WAC 173303-910(2), to the department.
Copies of the test procedures listed above can be obtained by writing to the appropriate addresses listed in Contacts.
Bioassay Testing on either laboratory fish or rats
Bioassay or biological testing can be done on a representative sample of a waste with unknown components. Biological test methods are referenced in WAC 173-303-110 (3) (b) Exit Ecology.
The actual test methods are described in Biological Testing Methods 80-12 For the Designation of Dangerous Waste, Department of Ecology Publication #80-12, April 1997. The test methods were developed by the Department of Ecology to meet the designation requirements of Dangerous Waste Toxic Criteria under WAC 173-303-100 (5) (c) Exit Ecology.
Test methods referenced are the:
ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) methods are referenced in Biological Testing Methods.
Copies of the publications listed above can be obtained by writing to the appropriate addresses listed in Contacts.
Chemical testing can be done on a representative sample of a suspected dangerous waste with unknown components. Chemical test methods are referenced in WAC 173-303-110 (3) (c) Exit Ecology.
Test methods referenced are for designation of the dangerous waste:
Refer to Chemical Testing Methods for Designating Dangerous Waste - WAC 173-303-090 and 100, for a more complete discussion of the above methods.
Copies of the publications listed above can be obtained by writing to the appropriate addresses listed in Contacts.
Dangerous Waste testing regulations do not regulate how many waste samples to take or where to take them as long as one representative sample is done of each waste to be tested.
A representative sample is defined in the Dangerous Waste Regulations, Chapter 173–303 WAC Exit Ecology, Section - 040 as "a sample which can be expected to exhibit the average properties of the sample source."
Refer to Dangerous Waste Samples Summary for more information about representative and composite samples, field sampling and links to suggested screening and sampling plans.
Two ways to designate a dangerous waste are given in the Dangerous Waste Regulations, Chapter 173–303 WAC Exit Ecology, Section -070 (3) (c). The designator can either "apply their knowledge of the waste in light of the materials or the process used", or "test the waste".
Knowledge alone can be enough to designate a waste. Knowledge about a waste also limits the number of tests that might be done.
Refer to Designation Using Knowledge for more information.
Ecology staff can require testing if they have reason to believe the waste would designate or if there is reason to believe the waste has not been properly designated (e.g., the waste has been designated DW as dangerous waste but should be designated EHW for extremely hazardous waste).
Evidence that a waste should be tested includes but is not limited to:
Refer to the Dangerous Waste Regulations, Chapter 173–303 WAC Exit Ecology, Section -070(4) for more information.
Other regulatory agencies have developed guidelines for sampling and testing of lead-based paint in residential dust, paint and soil.
Lead paint abatement screening plans and devices such as the XRF scanner can provide knowledge to direct dangerous waste designation. Refer to Sampling and Testing for Residential Lead Abatement for basic information about EPA and HUD requirements.
Department of Ecology publications and regulations are free. Contact
Environmental Protection Agency documents can be ordered from the:
Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
(202) 512-1800
ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) methods are copyrighted and copies of their materials must be purchased from ASTM which is a private organization.
American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Exit Ecology
1916 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (610) 832-9585
Fax: (610) 832-9555
National Fire Protection Association
National Fire Protection Association Exit Ecology
470 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02210.
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