Hope to see you: CHESS 30th Anniversary Open House
Our open house/ lunch is coming up this Friday, October 20th. We hope to see you there. RSVPs by October 18 (Wed) are appreciated, but feel free to drop by even if you didn’t RSVP. There will be a few games and prizes, along with lunch.
Reporting deadlines: Hennepin County businesses are up first
We’re in the fourth quarter of the year, which means annual reporting is coming up. Now is a good time to make sure your records are in order.
Around November 1, Hennepin County should start sending out notices about hazardous waste management plans, which will be due by December 15. Note the following deadlines, through April 1, for OSHA recordkeeping, hazardous waste generators and air quality permit holders.
If our contract with you includes assistance with reporting, Eleanor will be contacting you soon to set up appointments.
|
When |
What |
Who’s Affected |
|
Dec 15 |
Hazardous waste management reports due for Hennepin County |
Hennepin County LQG, SQG and VSQG hazardous waste generators |
|
Dec 31 |
Wastewater sampling due |
Those holding MCES wastewater permits |
|
Jan 31 |
Hazardous waste management annual report and license renewal for all metro counties, except Hennepin County |
LQG, SQG and VSQG hazardous waste generators |
|
Jan 31 |
Industrial wastewater discharge report due |
Those holding MCES wastewater permits |
|
Jan 31 |
OSHA 300A log summary – post from February 1 until April 30 |
Employers with 10 or more employees at any time during the year |
|
Mar 1 |
Tier II reports due |
Companies that have more than threshold amounts of specific chemicals |
|
Mar 2 |
OSHA 300A must be submitted electronically to osha.gov If you have more than 100 employees, there will be additional reporting required |
In MN, any company with 20 or more employees
|
|
Mar 31 |
Industrial Stormwater annual reports due |
Companies within specific industry codes. Does not affect companies with No Exposure exclusion. |
|
Apr 1 |
Air permit (VOC) reports due (forms should be mailed in mid-Dec to early Jan) |
Air Quality Permit B, C and Permit D holders * |
For companies outside the Twin Cities metro area, hazardous waste reports are not due until Aug 1, but it is a good idea to gather your information early in the year. You can submit as early as April.
*If you have an air quality permit B, C or D, you may be eligible to void your permit. We can explain that to you; just give us a call.
If you voided your air permit, you must still maintain records of paint purchases, so continue to ask your jobber for an annual VOC report.
If you are a CHESS maintenance client, we will be contacting you to set up a time to help complete your recordkeeping. If you are not a maintenance client and would like assistance, please contact Carol at 651‑842‑9210 or carkey@chess-safety.com.
Speaking of hazardous waste…fees going up
You pay several times over for waste you generate. You pay for the original product, you pay to get the waste shipped, and if it’s hazardous waste, you pay both county and state fees. Hennepin County has proposed an increase to those fees in 2024.
Let’s say you are a small quantity generator shipping about 7 drums of paint related waste every year. That is about 3150 pounds of waste a year. Here is an estimate of what you might pay, assuming the majority of your waste is just lacquer thinner.
|
|
Estimated Cost 2023 |
Estimated Cost 2024 (with 3.5% inflation) |
|
Cost of 7 drums of virgin lacquer thinner @$285/drum |
7 x $285 = $1995 |
7 x 295 = $2065 |
|
Hennepin County Base fee for SQG |
$535 |
$572 |
|
Hennepin County Shipped waste rate |
3150# x $0.0067/lb =$21.11 |
=3150 x .0071/lb = 22.37 |
|
Estimated cost for shipping 7 drums of hazardous waste |
7 x $290/drum = $2030 |
7* $300/drum = $2100 |
|
MPCA estimated fee* |
$304+($0.0203/lbx3150 lb) = $368 |
$304+($0.0203/lbx3150 lb) = $368 |
|
Total cost |
$4949 |
$5127 |
|
Total real cost per drum |
$707 |
$733 |
*We asked the MPCA about the fees. The MPCA bills in 2023 for waste generated in 2021.
So your actual cost per drum isn’t $285, but nearly two and a half times that. You aren’t paying just below $2000 for the seven drums, but nearly $5000 when you factor in all of the costs. If a small quantity generator could cut their waste in half and become a very small quantity generator, the estimated total cost for 2024 would be only about $2655. Contact us if you want help finding ways to reduce your waste.