United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA530-N-92-002
Summer 1992
&EPA
fin This Issue
{Maryland Holds Used Oil
Disposal at Bay (p.1)
• Safety-Kleen pumps
jUp Recycled Oil Markets
(p. 2)
i API Orchestrates
Far-Reaching Collection
iPrqgram (p. 2)
i Louisiana's Used Oil
- Recycling: One Person's
Project (p. 3)
• Straight from the
, iQrapkcase (p. 3)
• No Hazardous Waste
"Listing for Used Oil
~~ Destined for Disposal
(p. 3)
• Collection Joint Effort:
Ity of Houston and
Private Companies (p. 4)
Used Oil Recycling
Maryland Holds Used Oil
Disposal at Bay
State-sponsored collection sites in
Maryland recovered 320,000 gal-
lons of do-it-yourselfer (DIY)
used oil in 1991, a 122 percent increase
over 1990 totals. Debra Wagner of the
Maryland Environmental Service
(MES), an agency of the Maryland De-
partment of Natural Resources, attrib-
utes the jump in recycling to the
convenience of recently opened collec-
tion sites and the effectiveness of MES
public outreach efforts.
Prompted primarily by concern for
the health of the Chesapeake Bay,
Maryland lawmakers passed a used oil
recycling act in 1978 that mandated re-
covery of all DIY used oil. The act es-
tablished a legal and administrative
framework that today has allowed the
Maryland recycling program to be-
come one of the nation's models for
success. Currently, over 150 govern-
ment-sponsored and almost 300 pri-
vately sponsored collection sites
operate throughout Maryland. These
sites divert thousands of gallons of
used oil that otherwise could despoil
the state's watershed, 95 percent of
which drains into the Chesapeake Bay.
During the 1980s, a network of serv-
ice stations sparsely located through-
out the state voluntarily collected used
oil. Recognizing a need fora more com-
prehensive program, MES launched a
government-sponsored collection sys-
tem in 1988. MES first concentrated on
opening collection sites at local solid
waste transfer stations and public
works facilities, but more recently has
expanded the scope of the program to
include more frequently visited private
establishments, such as auto parts
stores and marinas. "We want to pro-
vide consistent, dependable services,"
Wagner said, "so that DIYs can go back
to the same location and drop off used
oil and not worry that it will be shut
down due to economic changes."
In opening a collection site, MES
provides a 275-gallon tank to site own-
ers and takes responsibility for any
contamination that might occur (al-
though thus far MES has not encoun-
tered any
problems).
Participating
site owners
must con-
struct a con-
t a i n m e n t
wall to pro-
tect the sur-
rounding
territory This hgo fe usgd bo(h
against acci- to represent Maryland's
dental spills. used oil recycling
The average program and to label
containment °°^°" **»**•
wall costs $400 to $800, a price private
site operators are willing to pay for
good publicity and an increased flow
of potential customers, Wagner said.
Private contractors collect the oil for
re-refinement or reprocessing.
MES bolsters its collection network
with a number of outreach and com-
munication activities. For example,
MES offers a toll-free telephone service
(1-800-1 RECYCLE or 1-800-473-2925)
that Maryland residents and people in
the Washington, DC/Northem Vir-
ginia area can call to find out about the
used oil collection site nearest them. In
addition, MES has published educa-
tional brochures and pamphlets, pro-
duced an 8-minute informative video
on the recycling process and the envi-
ronmental impacts of improper used
oil disposal, and aired public service
announcements on local television and
radio.
For more information, contact Debra
Wagner of MES at (410) 974-7282.
Used Oil Recycling is printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent recycled fiber.
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Safety-KIeen Pumps Up Recycled Oil Markets
EPA estimates a national used oil re-refining capacity
of over 150 million gallons annually. One company,
Safety-Kleen Corporation, has over 50 percent of the
national capacity. In April 1991, Safety-KIeen opened a
new plant in East Chicago, Indiana, that has the capacity
to re-refine 75 million gallons of used oil per year into
high-grade oil.
The company has over 100 branch offices that collect
used oil primarily from automotive and industrial opera-
tions. In addition to expanding its own nationwide collec-
tion network, Safety-KIeen has grown in recent years by
;purchasing other used oil collection and recycling compa-
nies, including Breslube, Inc.
Company trucks collect oil from businesses by using
special mechanical pumps. The oil is then taken to an
accumulation facility, which typically holds 20,000 gallons.
From the holding facility, railcars or trucks transport the
used oil to the East Chicago site for re-refining.
Safety-Kleen's re-refining process removes any contami-
nants in the used oil. The result is a high-quality lube oil
basestock that can be used in products such as hydraulic
and crankcase oils and transmission fluids.
Safety-KIeen uses 100 percent;re-refined oil in its line of
packaged motor and lube oils, \yhich are labeled as recy-
cled products and carry the American Petroleum Institute
(API) symbol of approval. The API symbol indicates that
the re-refined oil has passed the same quality test that is
used for virgin oil products. !
For more information, call Dennis Brinkman of Safety-
KIeen at (312) 694-2700. ;
API Orchestrates Far-Reaching Collection Program^
EPA believes that used oil recycling requires a grassroots
effort both in the public and private sectors. As noted
by Chuck Krambuhl of the American Petroleum Insti-
tute (API), "No one group operating alone is going to make
used oil recycling work. It is going to take everyone—oil
companies, legislators, local governments, retailers, educa-
tors, rccyclers, re-refiners, and do-it-yourselfers (DIYs)—
working in harmony to address the issue."
API, a trade association representing over 250 companies
involved in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, is playing
its part with a far-reaching public awareness and technical
assistance program targeted at state and local governments
and America's DIYs.Through API's program, which comple-
ments efforts by its member companies, the Institute hopes
to encourage development of used oil collection programs ih
cooperation with government officials and community lead-
ers throughout the United States.
API believes the best strategy for ensuring the proper
handling of used oil consists of developing state and private
programs to promote collection and education. To promote
this strategy, the Institute has developed outreach, imple-
mentation, and communication materials aimed at every link
in the used oil recycling chain, from DIYs and service stations
to state and local officials.
As part of the Institute's communication campaign, API
representatives have been making presentations to public
policy groups, legislators, and other interested parties in
order to bring their attention to the need for used oil collec-
tion and recycling. In addition, the Institute has developed
a question and answer sheet on used oil collection pro-
grams and an information brochure for the general public.
On the implementa-
tion front, API is pro-
viding educational
and technical materi-
als and advice to local
government manag-
ers, regulators, and, in
some cases, tax admin-
istrators to help them
organize collection
programs. For in-
stance, the Institute
has developed a kit
containing a model
public education cam-
paign and camera-
ready publication
materials that can be
tailored to the informa-
tional needs of any
community. API also
has prepared a bibliog-
raphy of literature on
used oil recycling.
Deposit
used oil
HERE.
Put Used Oil
API has developed this sticker to
identify used oil collection tanks.
API's ambitious program also includes a legislation devel-
opment component. To encourage the collection of used oil,
the Institute has developed a model bill that states can use
when drafting legislation. SeveraLstates have passed legisla-
tion similar to API's model bill.
For copies of the publications described above or for more
information on API's used oil collection program, call Charles
Krambuhl of API at (202) 682-8226.
Printed with |
contains at k
-------
Louisiana's Used Oil Recycling: One Person's Project
Largely due to the expertise and
enthusiasm of one person, the
state of Louisiana has established
a successful do-it-yourselfer (DIY) used
oil recycling program. In June 1990,
Tom Patterson finished a master's the-
sis at Louisiana State University on
public used oil recycling programs. The
thesis might very well have been shelved for future reference
and research if Patterson had not had the will to follow
through with an "action plan" to implement such a program
in his home state of Louisiana.
One and a half years later, Louisiana's used oil recycling
program has over 200 collection points scattered throughout
the state, despite the absence of an official program and state
or federal funding. Patterson stresses, however, that only
with approval from the Louisiana Department of Environ-
mental Quality's (LDEQ's) Hazardous Waste Division has he
been able to achieve this success. With LDEQ support, the
program has managed to enlist a host of service stations,
fast-lube service centers, government collection centers, ma-
jor employers, and other establishments to provide conven-
ient collection locations for Louisiana residents.
Patterson describes his used oil program as a "win-win
situation" for everyone involved: DIYs who want to manage
used oil safely, businesses and other institutions that can
benefit from the good publicity that comes with setting up a
collection site, and recyclers who need the supply of used oil.
Many store owners also realize that a used oil collection
center can draw more people into their stores, which means
more potential customers.
Louisiana's used oil recycling continues to increase in
scope. Patterson and members of environmental and wildlife
conservation groups are investigating an array of funding
mechanisms for the program, recruiting more large employ-
ers into the recycling network, encouraging localities to set
up their own programs, and planning an assortment of edu-
cational and communication projects.
Ultimately, Patterson envisions the program being run by
parish (the equivalent of a county) recycling coordinators
with technical and financial assistance from the state. Al-
though no Louisiana laws currently exist regulating DIY
used oil management, Patterson said two organizations, the
Louisiana Wildlife Federation and Citizens for a Clean
Environment, have very actively helped bring the issue to
the attention of state legislators, and he hopes to see passage
of funding legislation for the used oil recycling program in
the near future. "With the funding of an official program, we
would have the resources to analyze our progress and expand
even more," Patterson said.
For more information, contact Tom Patterson of LDEQ at
(504) 765-0249.
No Hazardous Waste Listing for
Used Oil Destined for Disposal
Last fall, Used Oil Recycling discussed EPA options for
listing used oil as a hazardous waste and/or estab-
lishing management standards for the handling of
used oil. In a subsequent May 1, 1992, rulemaking, EPA
determined that used oil being disposed of does not need
to be listed as a hazardous waste. The Agency believes this
approach is a more practical way of protecting human
health and the environment, while encouraging and pro-
moting recycling of this valuable resource.
Under current regulations, before disposing of used oil, a
used oil handler must determine (through testing or knowl-
edge) that the used oil does not exceed the regulatory limits
for constituents covered by the toxicity characteristic (TC).
The TC rule provides regulatory limits on lead, benzene, and
other substances that may be present when used oil is pro-
duced. Used oil that fails the TC must be disposed of accord-
ing to hazardous waste regulations. Used oil that does not
exceed the TC is not considered a hazardous waste. At pre-
sent, used oil that is recycled is exempt from the TC rule.
This determination does not address used oil that is recy-
cled, and it does notapply to used oil generated by individu-
als and households. EPA will soon make a final decision on
appropriate management standards for used oil handlers
and issue a listing determination on recycled used oil.
In addition, the Agency has determined that properly
drained used oil filters do not exhibit the TC. Therefore,
the Agency has determined that crushed or drained used
oil filters are not hazardous and need not be regulated
when recycled or disposed of. (See the Federal Register
notice concerning this rulemaking for more information
on terne-plated oil filters.)
To order a copy of the Federal Register notice concerning
this rulemaking or for additional information, contact the
RCRA Hotline, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
The national, toll-free number is (800) 424-9346; TDD
(800) 553-7672 (hearing impaired); in Washington, DC,
the number is (703) 920-9810, TDD (703) 486-3323.
Straight from the Crankcase
T<
(hree years after the inception of its recycling program, Jacksonville^ Flor-
ida (population over 541,000), is collecting an average of 2,000 gallons of
do-it-yourselfer usedUnl per week, Victor Cole, project manager of the
.-, ,: _-,-,% ^x^ftpjy..drop-off effort, reports that since December 1989 the city has recovered
pfer"--a total of over 100,000 gallons of used oil. The municipality's 18 collection contain-
ers, stationed at city ftehouses, are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and are
emptied at least twice a week by a city contractor. For more information, contact
Victor Cole of the Jacksonville Department of Public Utilities at (904) 387-8949.
3n paper that
>d fiber
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Collection Joint Effort: City
of Houston and Private
Companies
Several large oil companies recently donated the
resources "o initiate a used oil curbside collection
pilot project in Houston, Texas. The companies—
Conoco, Inc.; Exxon Company, U.S.A.; Pennzoil
Company; Shell Oil Company; and Texaco, Inc.—are
cosponsoring the collection effort with the city of,,'
Houston as part of the American Petroleum Insti-
tute's (API's) used oil collection program. Thfif city
of Houston is operating the program, which was
kicked off in April.
To get the project moving, over 300,000
households are being supplied with labeled plastic
containers (similar to milk jugs) to hold their used
oil. Project organizers are experimenting with two
ways to collect used oil at the curb. Trucks that
already were being used to collect other recyclable
materials, such as glass and aluminum, have been
retrofitted with either racks or tanks for holding
used oil. City employees either collect the used oil
In containers and place them on racks or drain the
used oil from the containers into tanks. In both cases
the collectors then transport the used oil to one
1,000-galIon holding tank at a city transfer yard.
When thu tank is full, a hauler is called to take the
used oil away for recycling.
The Houston project is an example of how various
partius can coof icrate to meet the challenge of collecting
used oil. For more information, call Charles Krambuhl
of API at (202) 682-8226.'
The mention of publications, products, or organizations in this newsletter does notconstitute
endorsement or approval for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Communications Services Branch (OS-305)
Office of Solid Waste
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business, Penalty for Private Use $300
One method for collecting used oil at the curb is to drain it Into a tank
Another collection method is to place containers on racks.
Postage and Fees
Paid
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