Environmental Compliance
The Environmental Compliance Program at California State University, Long Beach is designed to protect the campus and surrounding community from the threat of an accidental release associated with air contamination, water contamination, soil contamination, above and underground storage tanks, asbestos, lead, hazardous materials or hazardous wastes. This is accomplished through employee training programs, procedures, and policies designed to ensure the safe handling and storage of hazardous materials, and proper disposal of hazardous wastes. The Environmental Compliance Program is also responsible for coordinating with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to help California State University Long Beach achieve compliance with rapidly changing environmental regulations. The following programs and guidelines were designed to assist the campus community. Questions concerning environmental compliance issues not covered in this website should be directed to the office of Environmental Health and Safety at 562.985.2378.
This guide was developed by Environmental Health and Safety to help employees easily understand the Hazard Communication Program. It was designed specifically for employees who have not had any previous hazard communication training or for employees having trouble understanding the CSULB Hazard Communication Program.
The CSULB Hazard Communication Program is designed to ensure that employees know the properties and potential safety and health hazards of the materials which they use or to which they are exposed. This program is also intended to ensure that managers and supervisors provide their employees with training on how to avoid exposure to hazardous substances and what to do if they are accidentally exposed to such substances.
Looking to dispose of some hazardous waste? Well you have come to the right place! Simply download the form, fill in the appropriate information, and sent electronically or fax to Environmental Health and Safety. Complete instructions on how to fill out the collection form is included on the page as well. Once the form is reviewed, Environmental Health and Safety will call to coordinate a pick-up time and location.
"Should I throw these batteries and light bulbs in the trash or do we collect them as hazardous wastes?" This is a question that is often asked regarding batteries and light bulbs. Whether or not they can be disposed of in the municipal trash depends on if any of the materials exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste.
As far as lamps are concerned not all lamps are required to be collected as a hazardous waste. For instance, incandescent bulbs do not exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste, and can be disposed of as regular municipal trash. Waste lamps that are required to be collected as hazardous waste include fluorescent tubes, high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, sodium vapor lamps and other miscellaneous lamps that exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste.
All lamps/bulbs that are generated by the university are replaced & collected by the Facilities Management Electrical Shop. All bulbs are brought to the accumulation area, which is located in the Facilities Corporate Yard, where they await proper recycling.
As for spent/dead batteries, virtually all batteries exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste including rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, silver button batteries, mercury batteries, small sealed lead-acid batteries (emergency light batteries), and alkaline batteries.
Currently, there are four collection points for spent batteries that are generated by university processes. These locations are: within the Audio Visual Services department, the Facilities Management Supply Warehouse, the Steve and Nini Horn Center, the Student Union, the Los Alamitos Residence Hall, and the Parkside Commons Residence Hall. These locations have been designated as areas that routinely generate spent batteries. If your department routinely generates spent batteries as part of a university related waste, then Environmental Health and Safety will be more than happy to assign a battery collection vessel to your department. For other departments that generate the occasional battery, EHS recommends disposing them at one of the accumulation points, or if that is not possible you can call George Alfaro at ext. 5-2378 to schedule a pick up.
