The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Chemical Safety Office (CSO) is responsible for the “cradle to grave” management of hazardous waste and other special waste streams, pursuant to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulatory requirements. The CSO is also responsible for managing the ground and air shipping of hazardous materials/dangerous goods, in accordance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulatory requirements. The CSO provides on-line training programs related to Universal Waste management and DOT/IATA shipping certification. Additional services provided include responding to spills/releases on a 24-hour basis, conducting internal EPA/DOT audits and maintaining databases to comply with the recordkeeping requirements mandated by the regulations.
The CSO also manages relevant aspects related to the monitoring and reporting of “Chemicals of Interest”, pursuant to the Department of Homeland Security regulatory requirements and on-site chemical threshold planning quantities, related to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). It is the policy of the UNMC CSO to manage hazardous materials and waste in a manner designed to protect patients, researchers, healthcare workers, contractors, students, visitors and volunteers as well as the environment.
