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Hazardous Waste Information for Furniture Manufacturers, Finishers & Refinishers
Massachusetts Law requires companies that produce hazardous waste to store and dispose of this waste in a special manner. Any one, other than a household, who produces, transports, recycles, treats or disposes of hazardous waste must notify the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and meet certain requirements as specified in the hazardous waste regulations [310 CMR 30.000].
This fact sheet provides highlights of the regulations and will assist you in completing the Application for EPA Identification Number, or MassDEP Registration Form, if you are a Very Small Quantity Generator and/or Small Quantity Generator of used oil.
Definition of a hazardous waste
Federal and state hazardous waste laws define waste as "hazardous" if it is ignitable (has a flash point of 140? F or less), corrosive (ph of less than 2.5 or greater than 12.5), reactive, or toxic (as determined by a laboratory test). Other wastes are listed by name in the regulations.
- Typical hazardous wastes from furniture manufacturing or finishing
- Ignitable wastes
- Stripping sludges
- Rags and other cleanup materials contaminated with paint, lacquer, solvent or sludge
- Spent dipping solutions, such as methylene chloride
- Nitrocellulose overspray and residue (gun cotton)
- Surplus or off-spec paints, lacquers, solvents
- Corrosive wastes
- Spent acid or alkaline baths
Some rinsewaters may also be hazardous and should not be put down the drain. No rinsewaters can be disposed down the drain to a septic system without a permit.
Highlights of the Massachusetts Hazardous Waste Regulations [310 CMR 30.000] As a generator of hazardous waste you can be liable for any clean-up costs resulting from mismanagement of your waste, at your location, while it is in transit or at the receiving facility. To comply with the regulations and to decrease your risks:
- Ship your waste with a licensed hazardous waste transporter (If you qualify as a Very Small Quantity Generator, you may be able to bring your waste to a community hazardous waste collection.)
- Keep records of where it goes for at least 3 years
Your generator "status" is determined by the amount of hazardous waste you generate in a month's time:
| Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) |
less than 27 gallons a month |
| Small Quantity Generator (SQG) |
27 - 270 gallons a month |
| Large Quantity Generator (LQG) |
more than 270 gallons a month |
Consult the Summary of Requirements for Small Quantity Generators for more details.
Completing the Application for EPA Identification Number:
| SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) |
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| Type of Business |
SIC |
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| Built-in cabinets |
2434 |
| Carpentry |
1751 |
| Free-standing cabinets |
5712 |
| Furniture stripping |
7641 |
| Household furniture |
2511 |
| Office furniture |
2521 |
| Millwork |
2431 |
| Wood preserving |
2491 |
| Wood products |
2499 |
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| Waste Codes (Section C of the EPA application) |
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| Ignitable wastes |
D001 |
| Corrosive wastes |
D002 |
| Surplus lacquers, solvents |
F003, F005 |
Important Contacts
MassDEP offers compliance assistance on the Web and by phone (617-292-5898).
If your shop is on a septic system, contact the MassDEP industrial wastewater program at 617-292-5503 for information about holding tanks and containers.
To report a spill of oil or hazardous material, call the 24-hour MassDEP Emergency Response hotline at 888-304-1133. |