Fluid & Hazardous Waste Management Flashcards

An automotive recycling facility accumulates various fluids. Which of the following should NEVER be mixed with used oil intended for recycling?

Answer: Antifreeze and gasoline

Mixing used oil with substances like antifreeze (ethylene glycol), gasoline, or solvents contaminates the oil, making it unsuitable for recycling and potentially classifying the entire mixture as hazardous waste, which is more costly and complex to dispose of. Other petroleum-based lubricants like synthetic oil, transmission fluid, and hydraulic fluid can typically be mixed with used engine oil.

A technician is preparing to drain fluids from a newly acquired end-of-life vehicle. According to best management practices, what is the most critical first step to ensure environmental protection?

Answer: Ensuring the vehicle is positioned over an impervious surface like a concrete pad.

To prevent soil and groundwater contamination, all dismantling and draining activities must be performed on an impervious surface, such as a sealed concrete pad, that can contain spills. Draining fluids on bare ground is a major source of pollution. While other steps are part of the process, preventing spills from reaching the environment is the foundational step.

Which of the following hazardous components must be removed from a vehicle before it is crushed, baled, or shredded to comply with federal and state regulations?

Answer: All of the above

Regulations require the removal of several hazardous components before a vehicle hulk is processed. This includes mercury switches (found in convenience lighting and some ABS systems), lead-acid batteries, and refrigerants. Catalytic converters are also removed for their valuable metals. While plastic bumpers are recycled, they are not typically classified as hazardous waste in this context. Since batteries, refrigerants, and mercury switches must be removed, 'All of the above' is the most comprehensive answer reflecting standard depollution procedures.

When storing used lead-acid batteries awaiting recycling, what is a key safety and handling requirement?

Answer: Storing them upright on an acid-resistant, curbed surface.

Used lead-acid batteries must be stored upright to prevent acid leaks through the vent holes. They should be placed on a non-reactive, impermeable, and curbed surface to contain any potential leaks of corrosive sulfuric acid. Stacking batteries increases the risk of short circuits and case damage.

An auto recycling facility has a total aboveground oil storage capacity of 1,500 gallons in various containers (55-gallons or larger). Due to the potential for a spill to reach a nearby storm drain, this facility is required to have a:

Answer: Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan

The EPA's Oil Pollution Prevention regulation requires facilities with a total aboveground oil storage capacity of more than 1,320 gallons and a reasonable expectation of a discharge reaching navigable waters to develop and implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan.

If windshield washer fluid, used antifreeze, and used oil are accidentally mixed in a single 55-gallon drum, how must the facility manage this mixture?

Answer: It must be assumed to be hazardous waste unless testing proves otherwise.

When different types of automotive fluids are mixed, the resulting mixture must be treated as hazardous waste unless it is tested and documented to be non-hazardous. You cannot manage the mixture as used oil or used antifreeze because of the contamination from other substances like the methanol in washer fluid.