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Environmental Health and Safety
The University of Mississippi

Hazardous Waste Satellite Accumulation Area

Satellite Storage Areas

Federal regulations (40 CFR 262.34(c)(1)) allow a generator to accumulate as much as 55 gallons of non-acute hazardous waste or one quart of acutely hazardous waste in containers at or near any point of generation where wastes initially accumulate, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

Storage Requirements

  • Clearly mark an area to designate your accumulation area.
  • The storage area must be under the control of the operator of the process generating the waste.
  • The waste must be placed in containers that are in good condition,
  • The waste must be compatible with the containers,
  • The containers are closed (with a lid) when the generator is not adding or removing waste, and,
  • The accumulation area MUST be at or near any point of generation.

labelLabel Requirements

  • The containers must be marked with the words “Hazardous Wastes” and other words that identify the contents, and,
  • Each container must be labeled with the full name of the chemical components.
  • No abbreviations are acceptable.
  • A Generic Solvent Label “Hazardous Waste Solvents”, “Caution: Flammable”, followed by a list of the potential solvents, is appropriate for Jerricans, Carboys or other 5 gallon solvent collection containers. As noted above, the container must be labeled with the full name of the chemical components. No abbreviations are acceptable.

Health and Safety will provide container labels for containers of mixed solvents designated as Solvent Mix UM-1

Any accumulation of hazardous waste at a satellite area in excess of 55 gallons, or one quart of any acutely hazardous waste must be marked with the date the excess amount began accumulating, and must be moved into to the Hazardous Waste Storage Facility within three days.

What you need to know…

  • Segregate waste chemicals by compatibility
  • Designate a single location for the storage of hazardous waste.
  • Find a location out of the way of normal lab traffic, but still accessible to employees.
  • Whenever possible, keep hazardous waste in secondary containers (trays, buckets, etc.)
  • Fully Label the containers. Fume hoods should not be used as designated waste storage areas.
  • Call Health & Safety 915-5433 to have waste chemicals removed.