New Hampshire shops in violation of hazardous waste standards

October 18, 2010—The Small Business Technical Assistance Program (SBTAP) in New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) found that 37 percent of repair shops have not declared their hazardous waste activity.

The SBTAP and DES also found that:
• 22 percent do not have exhaust filters in paint booths;
• 35 percent do not know if their paint booth filters are up to code;
• 75 percent do not have a copy of their booth’s filter efficiency;
• 10 percent illegally dispose of their hazardous waste;
• 37 percent illegally dispose of waste from paint gun cleaning;
• 54 percent do not have properly labeled hazardous waste disposal bins;
• 46 percent of hazardous waste bins are left open between the disposal of waste.

Also, the EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operations deadline for shop certification nationwide is March 10, 2011.

The New Hampshire DES is holding two more workshops on Oct. 22 and Nov. 19 for auto body shops to review the hazardous waste rules.

For more information, go to nhada.com or epa.gov.