Business Waste

General Business Hazardous Information

The storage and disposal of hazardous waste by businesses is regulated by the Washington Business WasteState Department of Ecology. For detailed program information, please visit their Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program webpage. 

For guidance for generators of hazardous waste, please consult the Step by Step Fact Sheets for Hazardous Waste Generators (PDF). It includes information sheets on how to identify hazardous waste; obtaining an RCRA identification number; filling out annual reports; performing preventive maintenance; how to properly accumulate hazardous waste; planning for emergencies; using and managing containers; arranging for proper transportation and disposal; manifesting shipments of hazardous waste, and keeping records of hazardous waste activities; a glossary of hazardous waste terminology. 

Disposal Information for Businesses

Many businesses in Clallam County use a hazardous waste vendor to collect and properly dispose of their hazardous waste. Please remember, although businesses may rely on other companies to haul away and dispose of hazardous waste, the business is ultimately responsible for the waste from "cradle to grave." Choose vendors carefully, considering reliability, as well as cost.

Look for vendors whose services match your needs. The best vendor for you isn't necessarily the least expensive one. Don't trade short-term cost savings for long-term liabilities. Do you have just one waste, like antifreeze or spent photo fixer? If so, find a vendor who specializes in recycling that particular waste. The Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County has two excellent directories to help find a hazardous waste vendor. They can be found by the type of waste in the Waste Directory or by the name of the vendor in the Vendor Directory.

It is a good idea to conduct yearly environmental audits of vendors handling your hazardous waste. As can happen with any business, a reliable environmental vendor can become unreliable. A simple method is to check Ecology's list of active hazardous waste and used oil facilities, where you'll find instructions for viewing the recent compliance history of state-permitted sites. 

For Washington State firms, contact:

Records Division of the Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47658
Olympia, WA 98504-7658

Request a copy of the vendor's most recent inspection report as allowed under Washington's Public Disclosure Law. The inspection reports tell whether and what compliance violations may have taken place. You can then fully determine your confidence level as to whether "Cradle to Grave" will be met.

Local Source Control Program

The Local Source Control (LSC) / Pollution Prevention Program between the Washington State Department of Ecology and city and county partners focuses directly on assisting small businesses to prevent polluted runoff to Puget Sound. The City of Port Angeles is part of the LSC Program; they can offer free technical assistance visits to small businesses to review hazardous waste storage and disposal practices as well as stormwater management. For more information visit Ecology's Pollution Prevention Program.

If you are interested in scheduling a local source control / pollution prevention visit for your small business, please contact City of Port Angeles Pollution Prevention Specialist Rachel Bowen at 360-417-4693.