Navigate permits, plans, audits, and training with ease, ensuring your operations meet all regulatory requirements efficiently.
Forge a path to environmental leadership with tailored sustainability practices and EMS integration.
Elevate your team's expertise with targeted training in SPCC, NPDES, and industry-specific environmental regulations.
Mitigate risk and secure due diligence with our Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. Safeguard your real estate and land investments from environmental liabilities.
Ensuring environmental compliance while advancing towards sustainability goals.
Blending modern industry growth with established environmental compliance.
Expertly steering through dense environmental regulations for those on the water.
Expertly serving the concrete sector with deep industry-specific environmental insights.
Avoid costly pitfalls with comprehensive environmental due diligence for informed investments.
Navigate environmental standards effortlessly, ensuring smooth supply chain operations.
Written By: Doug Ruhlin | May 12, 2011
Time to Read 3 Minutes
We see a lot of garages in our line of work, at facilities all across the US. There's on huge issue which I've been harping on for years, and it has to do with oil and how it relates to environmental compliance issues.
The question is; used oil vs. waste oil - what's the difference?
Well the short answer is a lot.
For facilities or operations with a big fleet of vehicles, you're bound to have a garage. In the garage, on the yard, or anywhere those trucks are used, you're bound to find new oil for the trucks. Where does the old, used oil go? It's normally held onsite in a container, either to be burned in a heating unit, trucked offsite, or some held for other use. These tanks more often than not are labelled waste oil - or worse yet, not labelled at all, and described as the waste oil tank.
Almost every time I find out it's not a tank for waste oil, but a tank holding used oil. Who cares?! As long as your tanks are listed in your SPCC Plan, what's the difference what's inside the tank? Is this a question of wording, or is there really a difference between used oil & waste oil?
Here's the difference.
Used oil is oil that has been used, and as a result of such use, is now contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. The classic example is used oil drained from the engine of a truck or vehicle, and then stored for reuse, recycling, or shipping offsite.
Waste oil is oil that has not been used, but is found to be unsuitable for its originally intended purpose. For example, suppose a 55-gallon drum of oil was opened only to find that the cap on the drum had leaked, and now the oil was mixed with water, rendering it unsuitable for it's original purpose.
Great, so what?
Here's the biggest difference. Waste oil is a hazardous waste. In terms of regulations, it's a completely different product than used oil. There's more liabilities, more regulations to adhere to, necessary actions needed to remove the product from your site, etc. Having used oil on hand is a by-product of doing what you do, and it's ok to have it onsite. Having waste oil on hand is a potentially serious issue that needs to be resolved quickly. There are additional regulations, such as the level of contamination of the used oil, regards to its eventual reuse, recycling, or disposal. It's much better to have used oil vs waste oil.
Another regulation is used oil tanks must, by regulation, be labelled as Used Oil - not unmarked, unlabelled, or as waste oil. Used Oil - that's it. I'm sure the guys working at the plant all know used oil's in the tank, but they need to be labeled.
There are some state-specific differences to this general overview, and in all cases, check with your applicable state waste regulatory office, or seek qualified help. And remember, when it comes to used oil vs. waste oil, there is a difference!
If you're looking to understand how having quantities of used oil vs waste oil at your facility impacts your environmental compliance level, click here to contact us or give us a call at 609-693-8301 to discuss your needs today.
Learn what Class D recyclable materials in New Jersey are. When it comes to opening or running a recycling center in New Jersey, understanding what class of recyclable material your planning on...
Previously, I wrote about used oil vs waste oil. If you’re still not clear on the difference between used oil and waste oil, read this. It’s critical you know and understand the difference between...
We get a lot of folks confused over regulatory agencies. All too often we hear "it was an EPA guy inspecting us" when in reality, it was a NJDEP inspector, or even county inspector. I like to make...
Tel: 888-RMA-0230 | Email: info@rmagreen
Copyright © Resource Management Associates