Hazardous Waste Management Assessment

Consider the variety of products commonly used in households and on farms: paints, solvents, oils, cleaners, wood preservatives, batteries, adhesives, and pesticides. Small, unusable amounts of these products often wind up spilled, buried, dumped, or flushed onto farm property. Minimizing the amounts of these substances used on the farm, along with practicing proper disposal practices, can reduce both health risks and the potential for groundwater contamination. Farmers and their families are generally familiar with the hazards of pesticides commonly used in the farm operation, but they may be less aware of the hazards of other chemicals that make many tasks around the home and farm easier or more efficient. In addition, some common disposal practices not only threaten groundwater but also may be illegal.

Improper use of hazardous products may cause health effects. Improper storage may allow chemicals to leak, causing potentially dangerous chemical reactions or groundwater contamination. Improper disposal may allow these dangerous chemicals to enter into drinking water through surface water or groundwater.

Your drinking water is least likely to be contaminated by your hazardous wastes if you follow appropriate management practices and dispose of wastes in an approved location off your farm site. However, proper offsite disposal practices are essential to avoid risking contamination that could affect the water supplies and health of others.

The goal of ARKANSAS Farm*A*Syst is to help you protect your drinking water supply.

LOW RISK (rank 4)	LOW-MOD RISK (rank 3)	MOD-HIGH RISK (rank 2)	HIGH RISK (rank 1)	YOUR RANK
ASH DISPOSAL
• From farm burnbarrel*
Ash collected and disposed of at licensed landfill or municipal incinerator.	Disposal of ash from dry combustibles only, on farm or at dump, or spread on fields.	Disposal of ash from mixed trash at dump or on farm 100 feet from well.	Frequent disposal of ash from mixed trash on farm within 100 feet of well.
BUILDING/WOOD MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS
• Adhesives, such as caulk and solvent-based glues
• Cleaners, strippers, and thinners (solvent based)
• Paints, stains, finishers, preservatives, etc.
Used up or shared with someone else. Hazardous waste contractor collection service used for leftover adhesives.	Liquid evaporated in open air. Sludge or leftover product taken to licensed landfill or municipal incinerator.	Disposal at dump. Disposal on farm 100 feet from well.	Disposal on farm within 100 feet of well.
CONTAINER DISPOSAL
• Paper/cardboard pesticide container, plastic pesticide container, plastic container for oil or other vehicle product.

• Hazardous household product containers (such as cleaning product), etc.
Returned to supplier or hazardous waste collection service used.	Empty container taken to licensed landfill or municipal incinerator.	Disposal of empty container at dump or on farm 100 feet from well.	Disposal of partially filled container on farm within 100 feet of well.
VEHICLE/METAL EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS
• Used antifreeze
Save and take to antifreeze recycling facility or filter and reuse as water in other radiators.	Collect and dispose of in a municipal sewage treatment drain with permission of municipality. Take to licensed landfill, municipal incinerator, or dump.	Dispose of on farm 100 feet from well or in septic system.	Disposal on farm within 100 feet of well.
• Waste oil and grease
Take to used oil collection tank for recycling.	Reuse for lubrication or dispose of at licensed landfill or municipal incinerator.	Disposal at dump or on farm 100 feet from well.	Disposal on farm within 100 feet of well.
• Spent organic solvents/parts cleaner
Use solvent recycler collection service.	Filter in ventilated area and reuse or evaporate in open air. Take sludge to licensed landfill, municipal incinerator, or hazardous waste contractor.	Disposal at dump or on farm 100 feet from well.	Disposal on farm within 100 feet of well.
• Lead acid battery
Take to battery recycler or battery store.	Take to licensed landfill. Store used batteries 100 feet away from well.	Store used batteries within 100 feet of well.	Disposal on farm within 100 feet of well.
• Vehicle maintenance drips and spills
Contained on paved area with absorbent material. Absorbent material disposal at licensed landfill.	Contained on paved area with absorbent material. Absorbent material disposal at dump.	Occasional flushing onto farm property 100 feet from well.	On-farm disposal. Frequent flushing onto farm property within 100 feet of well.
		RANKINGS TOTAL (Add up numbers in Your Rank column)
		# OF AREAS RANKED (8 if ranked all)
		Use these two numbers to calculate risk ranking.

Pictures of chickens, flowers, wheat, a boy looking through a magnifying glass, irrigation pipe, soybean pods, and fruits and vegetables.	Cooperative Extension Service





Cooperative Extension Service	Agricultural Experiment Station
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