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Auto Body Shops

Defining Hazardous Waste

In 2005, 78,101 tons of hazardous waste was produced and handled in Utah. They can fall into either of two categories. A listed waste is one that is specifically listed on the Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Rules or the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) lists.

Characteristic wastes are not listed but are also hazardous if they have any of these traits: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. Generators are responsible for determining if their waste is hazardous. MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) can help you to identify possible hazards.

Waste Generator types

Waste generators are categorized by how much hazardous waste they produce annually. Conditionally Exempt Small Quality Generators produce less than 100 kilograms or less than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste in one month. They must identify all hazardous waste that they generate, not accumulate more than 1,000 kg at one time, and ensure that all waste is delivered to an authorized person or facility. If you fall into this category, you may be eligible for the Small Business Waste Disposal Assistance Program; you will pay the same amount to dispose of your waste as Salt Lake County pays to destroy household hazardous waste.

Contact the Salt Lake Valley Health Department at (385) 468-3862 for details.

Small Quality Generators produce more than 100 kg but less than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste each month. They may accumulate hazardous waste for up to 180 days without a permit, may not have more than 6,000 kg of waste on site at any time, and must have an emergency coordinator ready at all times.

Large Quantity Generators produce more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste each month, or more than 1 kg of acutely hazardous waste per month. There is no limit on how much waste can be stored on site, but it may only accumulate for only ninety days. An emergency coordinator must always be available. These generators must have detailed, written contingency plans for any type of emergency.

Auto body repair and waste

Facilities involved in auto body repair and painting can generate hazardous waste when wet and dry sanding, painting, washing vehicles, cleaning floors, conducting repairs, and changing oil. Some common pollutants include grease, used oil, toxic solvents, paints, chlorinated compounds, zinc, nickel, copper, and lead. The U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, along with Utah’s Used Oil Management Act, requires that hazardous waste be properly managed and disposed of. If these were disposed of in a landfill and caused water supply contamination, there could be dramatic health effects. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the used oil from one oil change could contaminate one million gallons of drinking water— that’s a year-long water supply for fifty people.

Best management practices

For a complete list of best management practices, please contact the Salt Lake Valley Health Department or the Utah DEQ’s Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste.

Dry Sanding: Conduct all sanding indoors. Use dry clean-up methods regularly to pick up dust, and thoroughly sweep or vacuum before mopping.

Wet Sanding: Do not wet sand in a wash rack or area with a floor drain. Use dent repair tools and vacuum sanding equipment whenever practical to minimize wastewater. Also, place a pan under the car panel being sanded to catch drips, and pour what is collected back into the wet sanding bucket.. Waiting 24-48 hours settles out up to 80% of the zinc. The bucket’s contents could also be sent to a permitted treatment system or to offsite disposal. Be sure to select a settling unit that allows for double or triple the daily volume of wastewater and has a method for removing the clear wastewater without disturbing the sludge.

Washing Cars: Wash water from repair shops is often contaminated with heavy metals, and should never be discharged to the storm drain. Wash water can be discharged to the sanitary sewer if you have a permitted treatment system or recycling unit. The second option is to collect all wash water and dispose of it offsite. In either case, remove as much dust as possible before washing and make sure that wash water doesn't run into a gutter, street, or storm drain.

Cleaning Floors: Sweep instead of mop when possible. If you have to mop, clean up drips and spills, sweep/vacuum to pick up dust, then mop with a minimal amount of water. Treat mop water as hazardous.

Painting: Paint indoors, in a paint booth if possible. Try to use paints and primers with a lower zinc content (check the MSDS). Ask your endor about low-metal paints and technologies. Minimize use of hose-off degreasers. Try to use low-volume mixing equipment and high-efficiency painting tools. Calculate paint needs carefully to cut down on waste paint and thinner. Clean spray guns in a self-contained cleaner, and never dispose of solution to the sewer of storm drain. Don’t use water to control overspray or dust.

Used Oil: Do not mix used oil. Keep clean-up materials close by, and contain any spills with sand. Recycle these materials or send them to an energy recovery facility. You can save money and reduce waste by using extraction devices like wringers and centrifuges to recover oil from reusable cleanup materials. Send used oil to a re-refiner whenever possible.