These are some of
the types of service bay
businesses affected:
• Automotive Service Stations
« Tire Shops
• Quick Lubes
• Car Rental Shops
• Body Shops
• Truck Service Stations
"Muffler Shops
• Farm Maintenance Garages
• Automotive Dealerships
• Automobile Repair Shops
" School Bus Maintenance Barns
• Taxi Cab Maintenance Garages
• Government Vehicular
Maintenance Shops
• Airport Hangar Operations
These wastes have
the potential to
contaminate
YOUR
community^
ground water!
Will your business
be affected?
Do you service automobiles, buses,
trucks, tractors, airplanes, or similar
machinery?
Do your service activities generate
wastes that contain gasoline, diesel fuel,
waste oil, antifreeze, degreasers, brake
fluids, transmission fluids, etc.?
Do you dispose of these wastes or wash
waters into the Around via a septic
system dramfield, dry well, cesspool, pit
or into a storm drain?
If you answered "yes" or "maybe"
to any of these questions, read the
"What should you do?"
section in this brochure.
Whom should you contact?
For additJoDalasastance contact a representative of your
trade association or your product supplier, regarding
your service bay operations. You may need to contact
your municipal sewerage agency regarding hook-tips to
a municipal wastewater treatment facility. Also you may
need to contact your state agency with responsibility for
the Underpwd Injection Control (UIC) Program or
EPA regional office covering your stole.
United Slates EPA 570-9-91-UIC1
Environmental Protection June 1991
Office Ot Water
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How do
US Environmental
Protection Agency
regulations
affect automotive
service wastes?
Automotive service stations generate waste
and wastewater daring daily operations.
Sometimes these wastes are disposed into
shallow injection wells, such as septic system
drainfields, dry wells, cesspools, or pits. If
these wastewaters are disposed into shallow wells
tiiey may endanger ground water that is or could be
a source of drinking water.
In other cases these wastes are improperly
disposed into separate storm drains. If these
wastewaters are disposed into separate storm
sewers they may endanger surface water such
as streams, lakes and estuaries.
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has conducted nationwide tests on
wastewaters from automotive service industries.
Typically they contain organic and inorganic
chemicals in concentrations which exceed EPA's
primary drinking water standards, established under
the Safe Drinking Water ACL
EPA and state underground injection control
programs are designed to protect underground
sources of drinking water from contamination by
injection wells. EPA prohibits the injection of
fluids that will endanger ground water that is or
could be an underground source of drinking wa-
ter.
EPA also prohibits the discharge of waste-
waters into separate storm sewers and permits
certain storm water discharges under the author-
ity of the Clean Water Act.
Your facility may also be subject to regulation
under the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA), also known as the hazardous waste
regulations.
A waste is considered hazardous if it contains
toxic chemicals in excess of concentrations listed
in the regulations. EPA has added 25 new
chemicals to that list. One of these, benzene, is
found in gasoline and oil. Solvents also contain
many of these toxic chemicals.
If you discharge these wastes into
a septic system drainfield, dry well,
cesspool, pit, or other injection well you
may be operating an unauthorized
hazardous waste disposal unit
i
tWhat should YOU do?
You must stop discharging automotive service
waste to septic system draiirfields, dry wells, cess-
pools, pits, or separate storm drains.
Stop using the well immediately tor these wastes!
Facilities that utilize these types of disposal
systems may currently be in violation of federal,
stale or local regulations.
Temporarily seal the floor drain(s) with a plug
or other device unless the floor drain(s) are needed
to comply with state or local laws. In that case, the
wastewaters should not be allowed to enter the
injection well(s) or separate storm sewers. You
should then use one of the following plans for
alternate disposal:
1. If a municipal wastewater treatment fadl-
ity is available, and will accept your waste,
you should route all waste to that facility.
2. If a municipal wastewater treatment
facility is not available, or the discharge is
prohibited, route your waste to a tank or
conainerfor proper accumulation and disposal.
SECOND:
Initiate a waste minimization program. This
can reduce the costs, liabilities, and regulatory
burdens of hazardous waste management, while
enhancing community relations.
WASTE MINIMIZATION PROGRAM
The following are methods for reducing waste:
1. Petroleum-based fluids from vehicles,
including used oil, transmission fluid and
brake fluid, should be collected and recycled.
2. Absorbents should be used to clean up
imnorflmd leaks and spills which occur during
routine vehicle maintenance.
3* Coolants from radiators should be
collected and recycled.
4. Pam washing should be done in a self-
contained, recirculating solvent sink.
S. Waste petroleum based fluids,
absorbents for clean ups, coolants and spent
solvent should each be collected and placed
in a Department of Transportation (DOT)
approved waste receptacle. These wastes
should be recycled wherever possible. Waste
disposal should be in accordance with
applicable federal, state and local waste
regulations.
THIRD:
Implement clean-lip. Pressure wash any of the
lines or piping leading to the well. Clean out
liquids and solids from all lines and septic tanks,
dry wells, cesspools, and pits, and dispose of
the contents by acceptable methods for waste
disposal. Fill die dry wells, cesspools and pits
with an inert material and seal with asphalt or
cement
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