Environmental Compliance

Overview

Some Hunter College buildings constructed before 1981 have asbestos-containing components, such as pipe insulation, floor tiles and fireproofing. EHS and the Office of Facilities Management and Planning have a program in place to inspect such materials to ensure that they are intact, monitored, and safely removed by external certified abatement contractors as needed.

Also see Asbestos Management in Occupational Safety.

Overview

As generators of hazardous waste, the Hunter College Office of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for providing waste management and disposal guidance in compliance with local, state and federal regulations. Our staff is committed to ensuring a safe work environment for all faculty, staff and students as well as building infrastructure. This is achieved by offering and overseeing chemical, biological and radiological waste pickups, emergency spill response and cleanup, waste determinations and best practice procedures, and annual regulatory reporting.

Resources

• Hunter College Waste Management Handout
• Art and Universal Waste Management Handout
• Hazardous Waste Satellite Accumulation Area Checklist
• Laboratory Waste Management
• Labels: Hazardous Waste, Peroxide Forming Chemical, Universal Waste

Chemical, Biological, and Radioactive Waste Pickups and Questions

Contact ehs@hunter.cuny.edu or 212-772-4462.

Biological Waste Supplies

Contact 212-772-4136 for biohazard pickup and leave a message with the waste location. Pickups occur every Monday and Wednesday. For instructions on how to properly package biohazard waste or for offsite pickup requests, contact EHS. 

Overview

The indoor air quality (IAQ) of the air inside a building is affected by a variety of comfort, physical, chemical and biological factors. Factors influencing the indoor air quality of a room or building include:

• Comfort issues (temperature, humidity, "stuffiness")
• Supply of fresh air to the building
• Accumulation of particulate, biological or chemical contaminants originating from within or outside the building

Reporting IAQ Concerns

Use the chart below to determine who to contact about an IAC concern. 

In the event of an unexpected and/or unusual odor in a work area, identify the source of the odor as soon as possible. Begin by asking other building occupants about work or activities that may be going on that could be the cause. 

If the source cannot be identified, or if the odors are extreme or are causing acute reactions to building occupants, contact EHS. We will conduct a preliminary investigation by first talking to occupants to determine if the problem is a one-time event or if the source can be easily identified and resolved. EHS will then coordinate with the proper departments to assist to mitigate.

Mold spores are found almost everywhere and mold will grow on virtually any organic substance as long as moisture, oxygen and certain temperature ranges are present. 

Contact EHS if you have questions or concerns regarding mold.

Report leaks to Facilities as soon as possible.

Overview

According to the Rules of the City of New York (Title 15, Chapter 41), if you store or handle any chemical listed on the New York City List of Hazardous Substances at or above its threshold reporting quantity, you must annually file a Facility Inventory Form with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York City Fire Department. 

Hunter College maintains an inventory of all hazardous substances in its facilities. On March 1st of every year, EHS reports the names and quantities of all substances on the New York City List of Hazardous Substances that are present in Hunter facilities.

Any employee in charge of the use, management or dissemination of chemicals in a work space must maintain an up-to-date chemical inventory of that space. EHS uses these inventories to report and comply with such agencies as the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Community Right to Know Program, NYC Department of Environmental Conservation, Fire Department of New York, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Developing a plan of action is imperative for government agencies and emergency responders in order to plan ahead for potential chemical releases and exposures.

Updating On-line Chemical Inventories

For the purposes of NYC Community Right to Know, EHS needs the assistance of all chemical owners to update their chemical inventories no later than December 15th of every year. Chemical inventories should be uploaded in Bioraft and maintained on a regular basis. Ensuring your inventory is up to date, accurate and uploaded by December 15th is all that's needed to comply with the NYC Community Right-to-Know requirement.

If you have any questions about this process, or if you store or handle hazardous substances and do not currently have an inventory but think you may be required to maintain and submit one, please email EHS at ehs@hunter.cuny.edu.

Check back soon for more on our Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures program.

Overview

EPA’s universal waste is a hazardous waste that is managed under streamlined requirements to encourage collection, recycling and disposal of these wastes. The following waste streams are considered universal wastes and have specific handling and labeling requirements.

Fluorescent Light Tubes

The term 'fluorescent light tube' includes all mercury-containing light tubes including: high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, compact fluorescent lights (CFL), mercury vapor lamps, high pressure sodium tubes and neon tubes. It is important to collect and dispose of used tubes through The Office of Environmental Health and Safety due to the mercury and lead contents. 

Containers used to store used fluorescent light tubes must be kept closed and must be labeled in accordance with the EPA regulations. The label must read "Universal Waste - Used Fluorescent Light Tubes" and must be dated as soon as the first used bulb is placed inside.

Batteries

Batteries are used for multiple purposes and can have many hazardous components. Batteries can contain heavy metals such as lithium, nickel, cadmium, lead and mercury and therefore must not be disposed of in the trash. 

Batteries should be separated based on content (e.g., alkaline, lead, acid, NiCad, etc.). Containers used to store used batteries must be kept closed and must be labeled in accordance with the EPA regulations. The label must read "Universal Waste - Used Batteries" and must be dated as soon as the first used bulb is placed inside. 

Intact Mercury-Containing Devices 

Mercury contained in glass devices is considered universal waste. It is possible that in some older buildings, mercury-containing thermostats are still in use. Whenever these thermostats are being removed (such as in a renovation project), they need to be collected, labeled and disposed of as universal waste through EHS.  Double-bag these items, label them as “Universal Waste – Mercury-Containing Devices” and place them in a secure area. Contact EHS for collection.

Electronic Equipment

There are specific procedures regarding the removal and disposal of computer or electronic equipment that must be followed in order for any computer or electronic equipment to be removed for surplus or recycling/disposal from any Hunter College facility. If a device contains a CUNY tag, contact Hunter College Property Management to take all the necessary steps to properly dispose of your equipment. Contact ICIT to remove hard drive memory. Contact Facilities to remove your equipment from the space only when all other steps are completed. 

Ink Cartridges

Most ink cartridge manufacturers provide a prepaid return service label for used ink cartridges. If this is not available, search online for sites such as Ink Technologies, who provide free ink cartridge recycling. 

PCB/Non-PCB Ballasts

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were manufactured and used pre-1979 as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment. The manufacture of PCBs was banned in the United States because they tend to build up in the environment. PCBs, once introduced into the environment, do not readily break down and can exist for long periods of time. They can travel via air currents and waterways. Deposition sites include soil, small organisms, fish and marine mammals, land and flying animals. PCBs have been found to cause cancer in animals.

Older fluorescent light ballasts have small capacitors that contain high concentrations of PCBs (unless the words "Contains No PCBs" appears on the ballast). These items are disposed of as hazardous waste. Contact Facilities for pickup.

The City University of New York campuses are all connected to the New York City water system, which is considered to be one of the highest quality municipal water systems in the United States. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulates and polices the watershed that surrounds and protects our reservoirs, and the water is tested more than half-a-million times a year at various points throughout the system. Additionally, the DEP adjusts the pH of the water to minimize corrosion and adds phosphoric acid to create a protective film on pipes to prevent the release of lead and other metals. For additional information, please go to CUNY Safe Drinking Water.

New York State requires all public school districts (K-12) to test drinking water for lead contamination and if the lead exceeds the threshold limit, action must be taken.

Water Tanks

Under Chapter 31 of the NYC Health Code, buildings that utilize drinking water tanks are required to have the tanks inspected at least once each calendar year by a qualified inspector. All inspection results are submitted to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) where they also can be viewed online on the DOHMH website. Public notices stating that inspection results are available for review must also be posted in an easily accessible location of the building.

The scope of drinking water tank inspections include assessments of internal and external tank structures (pipes, access hatches and screens, etc.), sanitary inspection requirements that include assessing the presence of sediment, biological growth, floatable debris or insects, and rodent or bird activity in or around the tank, and  “bacteriological” sampling that analyzes for the presence of any harmful bacteria. Inspection reports must include a description of all observed unsanitary conditions and corrective actions. Inspection results and water quality test results are also kept on premises for at least five years.

Water Bottle Filling Station

Water bottle filling stations provide a more hygienic, hands-free means to accessing safe, drinking water—especially in high-trafficked areas. In 2021, Hunter developed a new initiative to expand the number of bottle filling stations by converting our old water fountains into to bottle stations not just at our 68th Campus but also including our East Harlem, Brookdale, and Campus Schools locations. The new water bottle filling stations come equipped NSF certified filters that meet both standards for reduction in contaminants (such as lead, chlorine, and PM) as well as aesthetic impurities for taste and odor.