This application is a conduit for the Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a better understanding of the needs of NIH labs to dispose of chemicals to the sanitary sewer (as opposed to the collection of chemical waste and removal by the NIH Chemical Waste contractor). The intent of the application process is to promote prudent laboratory practices that will not harm human health or the environment.
This authorization process is based on NIH Manual Issuance 3032 and was developed with input from the research community to address the limited need for disposal of specific liquid chemical waste to the sanitary sewer. Please consult the NIH Drain Discharge Guide prior to initiating an application.
Drain Disposal Review Process
The drain disposal review process requires all information vital to the approval for drain discharge. As an applicant, you will gather information relevant to your processes from various sources, such as Safety Data Sheets, equipment manuals, log records and other research documents. DEP will assess all information provided by the applicant along with historical information, environmental impacts, RCRA compliance and wastewater discharge permit limitations.
Application Examples: Case-by-Case
Drain disposal applications are not created equal or precisely the same. Yet, applications can share values that provide similar paths to approval for discharge or collection by Chemical Waste Services. One example of why this requires an approval process is illustrated in the figures below. Both cases pertain to waste generated from flow cytometry, however one application was accepted and the other was denied.
Navigating the Drain Discharge Application Site
Information needed to complete an application:
- Applicant Information
- Process Information
- Chemical Constituents
- Attachments Relevant to the Application
