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If you haven't taken a hard look at how your shop handles used oil and coolant and dirty wash water, it's time to do so. Contractors familiar with the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) probably know a lot about fluid disposal, but if you're still disposing of waste fluids like you were 10 years ago, you need to "think green."

Used Oil
Rules for disposing of used oil are designed to encourage "waste generators" to recycle oil. Just one gallon of used motor oil can be re-refined to provide the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude. Here's how to get rid of used oil or find ways to make that transformation happen:

• Find a reputable waste hauler who will pay for used oil.
• Burn your own used oil unregulated in a furnace designed to burn used oil that develops no more than 500,000 Btu per hour.
• Depending on manufacturer suggestions for your equipment or your own preventive maintenance program, consider changing oil based on the condition of the oil instead of accumulated hours. A fluid-analysis program can take the guesswork and risk out of extending drain intervals.

Used coolant
Finding a company that will recycle used coolant is often cheaper than working with a company that will merely dispose of your coolant. Some additional tips:

• Minimize coolant waste by staying on top of cooling system maintenance and changing coolant only when laboratory analysis shows it's necessary.
• When change is necessary, test the waste coolant through fluid analysis to check for the presence of any heavy metals. It's cheaper than the RCRA procedure. If listed metals are present, have a certified waste-disposal company haul it away.

Wash water
Heavy equipment wash water can contain thousands of parts per million of oil and grease -- not to mention benzene, chromium, and lead, among other toxic pollutants. Of course, the content of your wastewater varies with the condition of the equipment being cleaned. The biggest challenge is often the volume.

Doing nothing is not an option. Fines and penalties for noncompliance can be severe, so flushing untreated wash water into a storm drain or surface water on to the ground without a permit is out of the question. Because of volume, having a certified carrier haul water away is often cost-prohibitive, so here are some alternatives:

• Use a recycling system, which slashes hazardous waste flow and water use.
• Treat the water to remove hazardous components so it can be safely discarded.

Some of the up-front costs of these systems are daunting, but they often pay off in the long run. Most importantly, they help keep you in compliance with environmental regulations.

To learn more, visit www.recycleoil.org/faqs or www.ciwmb.ca.gov/UsedOil/Recycle.htm.

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