Transportation Reliability in Industrial Waste Hauling
“Each year, approximately 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste is generated and disposed of at a broad spectrum of American industrial facilities.” ~ EPA
The trends show that this number will increase in the future due to population increase, urbanization, and socio-economic development. The increase in the volume of hazardous waste adds to the progressive deterioration of the environment throughout the nation. It has become imperative to employ proper hazardous waste management solutions to ensure environmental security and sustainable development of the country.
What it involves?
The hazardous waste management process includes identification, collection, separation, storage, transportation, treatment, disposal, as well as disinfection of the waste.
Role of Industrial waste transportation
Most companies in the US do not have a proper waste disposal facility on their site to handle their waste production so most rely on hiring companies that specialize in industrial waste transport and disposal of waste. These waste management companies ensure the secure transportation of waste material so that it does not becomes a threat to human health and the environment. These companies transport the waste from their sites to the facilities that can recycle, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste.
How is industrial waste transported?
Industrial waste is transported from a generator’s site to a facility (that treats, stores, recycles, or disposes of waste) through road, air, rail, or water. The shipping process starts with facilities needing to fill out a shipping document that stays with the waste containers throughout the transportation process. This shipping document includes various details, including the volume of waste, safety concerns, and the containers used to pack and carry the waste. Moreover, the transporter company must follow RCRA, EPA, and DOT regulations to transport waste.
Guidelines for industrial waste transportation
Hazardous waste poses a substantial or potential threat to public health and the environment, so government agencies give proper attention to the shipment. The hazardous waste is treated under the United States Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations, as well as EPA’s hazardous waste regulations.
In addition to DOT regulations, hazardous waste transporters must follow RCRA guidelines, outlined in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 263, including:
Obtaining an EPA identification number:
Each transportation company must have an EPA ID number for hazardous industrial waste transportation. A transporter is prohibited from transporting dangerous waste if they do not have an ID number.
Complying with EPA’s hazardous waste manifest system:
EPA’s hazardous waste manifest system help tracks the hazardous waste from the generator facility to the off-site waste management facility, where it is stored, treated, or disposed of properly.
A transporter cannot pick hazardous waste from a generator if they do not have a properly prepared manifest. A copy of the manifest must accompany with shipment document of the waste at all time. Once a transporter accepts a waste, they are required to deliver the entire quantity of the waste to the next designated carrier or facility. After the waste arrives at the next destination, the carrier must get the manifest signed and dated by the recipient. They must keep a copy of the manifest for three years.
Managing accidental hazardous waste spills:
If a transporter spills hazardous waste accidentally, the carrier is required to take appropriate, immediate action (informing local authorities or sealing the discharge area) to protect human health and the environment.
- If quick removal of the waste is necessary, officials may authorize transporters without an EPA identification number or a manifest to remedy the situation.
- US DOT may require a written report about the incident outlined in 49 CFR section 171.16.
- A transporter must notify the National Response Center (NRC) by phone as required by US DOT or the Superfund regulations.
- A transporter must clean up a hazardous waste discharge to prevent any danger to human health or the environment.
Obeying all applicable US DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations:
Transporters of hazardous waste are required to comply with US DOT regulations if they transport hazardous waste into the US. The DOT references include requirements for labeling, marking, placarding, and containers of hazardous waste.
- The transporter must place placards on all four sides of a vehicle to classify the type of hazardous waste in transit. In case of an accident, the notices can help medical, HAZMAT, and fire personnel to identify the hazards they need to watch out.
- The placards are required if a transporter is moving a thousand pounds of hazardous waste.
- The carriers should carefully choose their routes to carry the waste from one place to another. It is imperative to consider the route as well. It will minimize the chances of damage that could occur due to the accidental release of the waste along the way. The transporter must also consider the weather conditions. It can have a significant impact on the driving and quality of transportation on bad roads.
- The transporter must use markings to represent the type of hazard material contained in the vehicle. The DOT characterizes hazard materials in nine classes. The nine categories are:
- Corrosives
- Radioactive materials
- Poisonous materials
- Oxidizers
- Flammable solids
- Flammable liquids
- Flammable Gases
- Explosives
- Miscellaneous
Transporters need to comply with additional export requirements, found in 40 CFR section 263.20 to transport hazardous waste out of the United States, including;
- Sign and date the manifest in the International Shipments block to indicate the date that the shipment left the United States.
- Maintain a copy of manifest under 40 CFR section 263.22(d).
- Handover manifest’s signed copy to the generator
- Give one manifest’s copy to a US Customs official at the time of departure from the US.
Transportation services in waste hauling
Organizations and industries produce an enormous amount of hazardous waste for which they need a safe and reliable transportation partner who can safely move waste to the disposal companies.
Here are a few companies that can help you with safe transportation and management of hazardous waste by following RCRA and DOT guidelines:
Clean Earth
American Transportation Solutions (ATS), A Clean Earth Company, is one of the reliable waste transportation companies in the US. With the help of pre-qualified independent fleets and a wide range of vehicles, they can seamlessly transport hazardous waste from your site to their facilities. They accept RCRA hazardous and non-hazardous wastes from various industries, including energy, infrastructure, commercial, industrial, consumer commodities, medical, and pharmaceutical markets. They provide a uniform manifest unique number for every project. Clean Earth facilities offer:
- Receiving docks
- Roll offs
- Macro boxes
- Sludge boxes
- End dumps
- Vacuum tankers
- Flatbeds
- Tank wagons
Veolia
Veolia offers reliable solutions for your company’s collection, transport, and disposal needs. They offer safe and cost-effective hazardous waste transportation solution to transport the waste that includes:
- Less-than-truckload program
- Standard solid waste collection vehicles
- 40 – 53 ft. Van trailers to haul drummed and other containerized wastes
- 5,000-gallon bulk tanker and pneumatic vacuum trucks that have capacity to haul bulk liquids
- Smaller capacity vacuum truck with higher suction capabilities
- Midline trucks to haul drums that contain waste materials in small quantity
- Flatbed trailers to haul large items such as PCB transformers
- Refrigerated trucks to haul reactive chemicals
Clean Water Environmental (CWE)
CWE offers hazardous waste transportation services throughout Ohio and nearby states. You can trust CWE services to transport hazardous materials safely. Here are the reasons:
- They have a permit for hazardous and non-hazardous hauling.
- They carry all required insurance and documentation necessary for industrial waste transportation.
- They regularly update and maintain their vehicles for reliability and performance.
- They have trained drivers with highest Haz-Mat qualifications.
Waste Management (WM)
WM has the experience, equipment, and logistics infrastructure to transport your industrial by-products safely, reliably, and responsibly. Their transportation services include:
- Container & Logistics Management
- Small Quantity Collection
- Specialized Trucking
- Waste by Rail
- Vacuum Services
Clean Harbors
Clean Harbors offers a wide range of truck, rail, and ship transportation for waste materials. With their logistics expertise they manage and coordinate shipments throughout the United States, Canada, northern Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Their options and liability protection, include:
- Drum and bulk waste transportation of liquids, solids, and sludge
- Transport directly from your facility to the disposal facility
- Rail transportation
- Truck-to-rail trans-loading
- Multiple shipments
- Transport for campaigns and projects
- Van trailers and box trucks
- Vacuum trailers and straight vacuum trucks
- Rubber and glass-lined tankers and vacuum trucks
- Roll offs
- Vacuum boxes
- Frac tanks
- Lugger boxes
- Dewatering boxes
- Tank trailers
- Vacuum trailers
- Isotainers
- Bulk liquid railcars
- Gondola cars
- Flatcars
- Intermodal boxes
US Ecology
US Ecology has an extensive fleet of transportation vehicles to manage waste from the point of generation to final disposal. Their wholly owned fleet includes everything from tanker trucks to box vans to roll-off trucks. They can handle any volume of waste from drums to bulk to rail transportation. They ensure full compliance with DOT and EPA regulations from the time of pick-up to the arrival at their facility for disposal. They are committed to providing safe and cost-effective waste transportation services.