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Identify and Designate Waste
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Count Dangerous Waste
Identify and Designate Waste, then count it.
"Counting" is measuring the weight of your dangerous waste. The amount of waste generated per month determines the “generator status” of a business. That
status determines the rules that apply.
Which Rules Apply? can help you to
determine your generator status.
Counting waste is also important in order to
Report Waste and to
Plan for Pollution Prevention.
Know the Weight of Your Waste
You may weigh your waste with a scale or calculate the weight from a
known quantity and density. There are two main ways to calculate the weight of a
quantity of a liquid waste:
- Weigh one gallon and multiply that weight by the total number of
gallons.
- Multiply the specific density of the waste (from the material safety
data sheet or other source) by the density of water (8.34 pounds). Then,
multiply that number by the
total number of gallons of liquid waste.
A more detailed discussion of the calculations involved can be found in the
Ecology publication,
Counting Dangerous Waste
Under the Dangerous Waste Regulations.
As a general rule, count dangerous wastes that are accumulated, disposed of, treated,
recycled, or shipped off-site on a manifest.
What Not to Count
Beneficial Reuse/ Recycling
discusses waste recycling exemptions from counting and reporting
requirements.
Wastes Exempted by Regulation
includes conditionally excluded wastes, the domestic sewage exclusion, and
selected other wastes.
Treatment by Generator discusses
types of on-site waste treatment allowed in tanks and containers.
Related information
Washington Dangerous Waste Designation Tool is a downloadable Excel
spreadsheet that can walk you through the process of assigning waste
codes to dangerous waste.
Counting Dangerous Waste
Under the Dangerous Waste Regulations is a detailed publication
on counting waste.
Designation of dangerous waste is at WAC 173-303-070 in the
Dangerous Waste Regulations.
