About Jenyfer Johnson Expertise I can answer your questions concerning RCRA hazardous waste regulations, their interpretation and application, hazardous waste management, including shipments off-site. I can also dicuss military munitions questions you may have in the RCRA area.
Experience I've worked civil service for the Navy (3-4 yrs environmental) and Air Force (11+ years environmental) running the day-to-day hazardous waste management program. I oversee disposal and management contracts, shipping of wastes, spill responses, military munitions, operating under Part A/Part B RCRA permits and even a Subpart X permit. I've written management plans, give training on site-specific RCRA practices, done base assessments at my own and other bases and oversee much of the hazardous materials program as well.
Organizations American Federation of Government Employees union
Awards and Honors Woman of the Year 2004 at my Air Force base; Red Cross Disaster Co-Chair, Disaster Instructor and Shelter Manager; asked to participate as a Hazardous Waste Assessor at two Air Force bases in 2005; responded to an F-16 jet crash in April 2005; as to testify as an expert for the federal government in a contract case concerning wastestream disposal for the Navy.
Expert: Jenyfer Johnson Date: 5/24/2006 Subject: Disposal of Metal Halide Bulbs
Question Hi,
I am emailing in regards to the waste regulations pertaining to Metal halid bulbs. I know that regulations differ between states, so I am only concerned with Richmond Virginia. I am working on a project for a lighting system upgrade from metal halide bulbs to T5 HO flourescents. Is there any disposal difference between the two in that state? Also, what is the disposal process for each and is there any disposal/recycle cost associated with either type of bulb.
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Eric Hahn
Answer Eric
I am not an expert in VA waste regulations but they are a mirror of the Federal Univeral Waste regulations. The metal halide lamps do contain mercury so you would want to dispose of them as "Universal Waste" and take advantage of the less stringent universal waste regulations, plus you would get the credit for recycling them.
I'm not sure if you would treat the T5 HO fluorescents as "Universal Waste" for disposal and recycle them as well, or what the cost would be. You would have to contact a bulb recycler and ask that question yourself. I personally use Cleanlites Recycling out of Greenville, SC for my site but there are others that I'm sure are equally as good.
As far as their disposal process I must plead ignorance, I don't know their process but I know they do separate everything (metal, glass, and mercury) and recycle it all). Yes, we pay for their service; we also pay for containers to collect the lamps in. As we have long said in this business...recycling and buying recycled is NOT cheap, but it's the right thing to do.
One personal word of advice I can give you...I work on a LARGE facility and some buildings have switched to the "green" fluorescent bulbs, some have the old-type, some have the more energy efficient bulbs and so on. I make no distinction for disposal...it's too difficult and I have neither the time, nor money to test all the different type of bulbs I come across...so all bulbs are handled as "Universal Waste" and we're done with it! Just the way it is at my facility.
Good luck and I hope I've helped.
Jenyfer
