Safety valves are removed and checked at least once a year by
qualified mechanics.

Electrical equipment, such as forced-draft motors, switches,
and wiring, is serviced and maintained by qualified

electricians.

Good housekeeping is practiced at all times.

Appropriate warning signs and instrumentation are conspicu-
ously posted. Charts and signs serve to familiarize
personnel with correct operating practices. An incinerator
operating chart can be used as a visual guide for stokers and
chargers. Warning signs shall be posted as reminders to keep
personnel outside guardrails. Prominent posting of the
notices to collection crews will alert truck drivers and
helpers to safe, orderly procedures. For timely maintenance,
a schedule shall be displayed, giving desirable frequency for
inspecting refractories and cleaning ash pits, fire chambers,
combustion chamber, stack base, floors, sumps, and floor
drains.

4.3.17.24 Maintenance Procedures. Components subject to rapid wear or damage shall be inspected weekly at a time when they are not in operation. After each weekly inspection a report shall be made. It shall include the condition of the furnace, repairs performed, and the expectation of future repairs. When repairs are being made, the units remaining in operation should not be overloaded. Some incinerators are equipped with maintenance shops. Spare parts (those not readily available as shelf items) for cranes, stokers, fans, and motors are sometimes kept on hand. Most operational maintenance is performed by regular staff employees. Preventive maintenance should be practiced to prevent serious problems. Weekend shutdowns provide an excellent opportunity to inspect for future problem areas. Refractory maintenance, boiler care, slag removal, and grate maintenance are some of the important areas that shall be serviced frequently. In addition to the control of odor, dust, and litter, the work space shall be kept clean. Misuse of employee facilities, such as accumulating salvage items, shall not be permitted. Poor housekeeping creates fire or safety hazards. Lighting fixtures and bulbs shall be kept clean to provide effective illumination at all times.

4.3.17.25 Disposal of Residue. From 5% to 25% by weight of the refuse charged into an incinerator remains as residue after combustion. The percentage for a given facility depends upon the composition of the waste stream, preincineration resource recovery, and operation of the incinerator itself. Devices to handle this residue differ, depending on the type and design of the incinerator. The residue contains all of the solid materials remaining after burning such as ash, cinders, unremoved metals, glass, rocks, and unburned organic substances. Incinerator residue is permeable and contains water-soluble inorganic and organic compounds. Incinerator residue must be analyzed to determine if it is regulated as a RCRA waste or by state or local regulations. Batch-feed incinerators usually have ash hoppers located directly below the grates. The hoppers are large enough to store the refuse from several hours' burning. The residue is quenched or sprayed with

water to reduce fire hazards and to control dust. Many incinerators are designed to allow dump trucks to load the residue directly from the hoppers. The residue from continuous-feed furnaces falls from the burning grate into automated ash removal devices. The residue is also quenched in a bath for dust and fire control. A drag or apron pan conveyor then carries the wet residue to dump trucks. The quench water requirements will vary considerably depending on the specific design and operational requirements of a given incinerator. Ash after quenching is then disposed of according to federal, state, and local regulations.

4.3.18 Composting.

Composting is another resource conservation method. It is the process whereby microorganisms are utilized to convert most organic matter to humus. The resulting humus is generally used as an agricultural soil conditioner or potting soil. Composting could theoretically have a wide application to many military installations since they are frequently located in wooded areas. Composting operations at installations located in areas possessing an abundance of leaves can significantly reduce the volume of wastes to be disposed of.

1.

2.

Leaves can be bagged by residents and set out at the curb for pickup on specified days. Leaves from parade grounds and other nonresidential areas can be raked into large piles and loaded directly into dump trucks or other general purpose vehicles. All leaves can then be hauled to a central composting point. An excellent location for the composting point is the installation sanitary landfill. The composting operation can be placed on a completed and filled section in the landfill site. Once at the composting site, leaves shall be arranged in rows and turned frequently in order to promote rapid decomposition. The resulting humus can be utilized on the installation as a soil conditioner or potting soil.

Pine straw is considered a forestry product and specific regulations apply to its disposal. Pine straw is available in large quantities at many military installations, particularly in the southeastern United States. The pine straw may be composted, but it can also be used as is without further processing. It has excellent usage as the top cover in flower beds and in forming "pine islands." Pine straw may also be given to civilian communities for use in community beautification projects. Pine straw with commercial value cannot be given away.

The

3. Solid waste can also be composted. The waste is usually shredded,
and most of the nonorganic materials removed. The remaining organic
material is generally arranged in windrows and turned frequently to
promote decomposition by microorganisms. The resulting humus can be
utilized in the same manner as that generated from leaves. This
operation shows limited applications to military installations.
Navy and the city of Key West jointly constructed a 50-ton/day
aerobic composting facility in Key West, Florida. Solid waste is
mechanically composted and windrowed onsite (one turn every week for
90 days). The product is a soil conditioner used on city parks and
sold to the public.

4.

Composted leaves and pine straw are generally utilized at the
generating installation, and marketing is not a consideration.
However, there are several disadvantages to the composting of solid
waste. The processing required for its preparation is similar to
that for RDF, and it is unlikely that composting will be able to
compete with energy recovery as a solid waste management tool.
Also, compost is considered to be a very low grade fertilizer and as
such cannot economically compete with available chemical fertil-
izers. Finally, only a very few areas of the U.S. are so sandy that
there is a great need for this type of soil conditioning. The high
processing costs and lack of suitable markets will frequently result
in making the composting of military solid waste economically
unfeasible.

4.4 WASTES REQUIRING SPECIAL HANDLING

4.4.1 Many solid wastes may not be disposed of as normal municipal refuse and require special handling and/or disposal. Check with the installation environmental specialist for information regarding special handling and disposal requirements. The RCRA defines a solid waste as "any solid, liquid, semi-solid or contained gaseous material which has served its purpose or has been discarded." Materials that are recycled, reclaimed, or reused may be considered a solid waste under RCRA. Hazardous wastes, a subset of solid wastes, are wastes that pose "a substantial hazard (present or potential) to human health or the environment when improperly managed or disposed." Waste generators are responsible for determining which wastes are considered hazardous by regulation and which wastes shall be prudently managed as such. State and local regulation pertaining to solid waste disposal must be examined because RCRA allows the EPA to authorize individual states to operate their own hazardous waste management programs. The state programs must be equivalent to or exceed the federal regulations. Some states have adopted regulations that exceed certain portions of the federal regulations. For example, seven states have chosen to regulate infectious wastes as a hazardous waste. Other states may not recognize the "small quantity generator" status defined in the federal regulations.

4.4.2 Examples of solid wastes that may be regulated or require special handling are presented below:

used oils and solvents

asbestos wastes
radioactive wastes

infectious wastes

PCB wastes.

The management of RCRA-regulated "Hazardous Wastes" is discussed in further detail in Section 4.5 of this document. Solid wastes considered to be hazardous wastes have been introduced in this section because they may be regulated by local, state, or federal regulations other than RCRA.

4.4.3 Used Oils and Solvents

4.4.3.1 Used oil includes all used petroleum products and lubricants, hydraulic fluids, preservatives, metal-working fluids, waxes, and insulating fluids. Used oil recycling and disposal activities are presently regulated under RCRA and various state authorities. The burning of used oil in nonindustrial boilers is prohibited if fuel specifications cannot be met because of contamination (chlorinated solvents; heavy metals; or polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs), characteristics (flash point below 140°F), or total halogens. Industrial burners of off-specification used oil fuel must comply with various notification, certification, and record-keeping requirements.

4.4.3.2 Used solvents are defined as all organic fluids contaminated as a result of use for cleaning or thinning or use as a solvent, antifreeze, or for a similar purpose. Most used solvents are regulated by RCRA as hazardous wastes. The recycling, reclaiming, or reuse of used oil or solvent may also be regulated. The Used Solvent Elimination Program (USE) requires the minimization of solvent wastes. Guidance for the management of used oils and solvents can be found in "Used Oil and Solvent Recycling Guide," prepared for NEESA in June 1985, and in NEESA 20.3-013. PCBcontaminated oils must be handled and disposed of as described later under PCB wastes.

4.4.4 Asbestos Wastes. Friable asbestos wastes must be handled and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Subpart M of 40 CFR 61 and any other state or local regulations. Asbestos removal and disposal on military installations must be performed by a licensed contractor or specifically trained and equipped civilian/military personnel. The material must be placed in sealed, impermeable bags and disposed of by burial at a state-approved sanitary landfill.

4.4.5 Radioactive Wastes. The handling and disposal of radioactive wastes is strictly controlled by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in accordance with 10 CFR 20. Medical and research installations may produce wastes contaminated with radioactivity. Many of the short half-life radioactive isotopes used in medical activities can be decayed for 10 halflives and then disposed of as infectious waste. Radioactive wastes containing regulated hazardous chemicals are considered "mixed wastes" and must be handled and disposed of as a "hazardous waste" and a "radioactive waste." For example, waste liquids used from scintillation counting may contain toluene or xylene, which are regulated hazardous chemicals wastes.

4.4.6 Infectious and Medical Wastes. Hospitals and other health care facilities generate solid wastes, of which 10% to 15% are considered infectious waste. Facility Engineers/Public Works Officers/Base Civil Engineers are not responsible for the collection and disposal of infectious waste. Commanders of medical department installations are responsible for the disposal of infectious waste in coordination with facility engineers/public works officers/base civil engineers. The regulation of infectious waste varies widely from state to state. The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 required EPA to develop infectious waste regulations, which were issued under Subpart J of RCRA. Effective 22 June 1989, hospitals, clinics, medical offices, and other handlers of potentially infectious medical wastes in the states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota must adopt a tracking program to trace the wastes from generation to disposal for the next 2 years. Any of the Great Lakes states may "opt out" of the program, and other states may "opt in" to the program.

4.4.6.1 Generators and handlers of more than 50 lb of medical waste a month are required to complete a tracking for each waste shipment for offsite treatment or disposal. Generators of less than 50 lb of medical waste a month must keep logs at the generating site. All regulated medical waste managed offsite must be labeled and packaged in rigid leak-resistant containers in accordance with the regulations. Medical wastes are defined by the Act to include:

contaminated animal bodies and parts exposed to agents in research and
production of biologicals and drugs

other lab wastes and equipment that may have come into contact with
infectious agents.

4.4.6.2 The disposal of surplus medical supplies (FSC 6505) must also be considered. Some items contain silver, which can be recycled. Others such as outdated drugs and vaccines must be disposed of according to prescribed procedures. Procedures for disposal of surplus medical items are currently under development and revision.

4.4.6.3 EPA Guidance. Regulations for infectious waste management can be found in Environmental Quality, Preventative Medicine for Medical Services (e.g., AR 40-5). The EPA Office of Solid Waste has also published a document that provides guidance on the management of infectious waste, "EPA Guide for Infectious Waste Management," 1986, 530-SW-86-014. This document outlines procedures for designation, segregation, packaging, storage, transport, treatment, and disposal of infectious waste. The categories of wastes listed in Table 4-4A are recommended by EPA to be designated as infectious waste. EPA believes that the decision to designate the miscellaneous contaminated wastes presented in the table as infectious shall be made by a responsible authorized person or committee at the facility. EPA recommends that wastes from patients that are known to be infected with blood-borne diseases be treated as infectious waste.