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Extensive Support in Hazard Waste Management

Organized hazardous material storage

For 22 years, CSS has provided support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hazardous Waste Program ensuring safe handling, storage, packing, and shipping of hazardous waste materials within facilities and laboratories. Experienced CSS employees are located on site at CDC campuses in Atlanta, Georgia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Fort Collins, Colorado and are responsible for collecting waste on a weekly schedule and disposing of waste at various campuses on an annual basis. 

At each campus, CSS staff are tasked with classifying, bulking, storage or lab packing regulated (i.e. flammable, corrosive or caustic, toxic, and reactive) and unregulated (i.e. buffers and stains, and any material not regulated for transport) waste.

CSS staff are responsible for placing flammables, lean waters (water saved for reuse), flammable toxic chemicals, oils and buffers into 50-gallon drums; organizing and storing similar toxic materials; and packing similar lab waste within large, leak-proof, non-corrosive bins packed with vermiculite to absorb vial leaks. 

woman places a packaged bottle on a shelf organized with other containers in plastic bags.
CSS employee owners are responsible for classifying, bulking, storing, and lab packing regulated and unregulated waste.

CSS Staff are also tasked with collecting universal waste and provide oversight of storage areas, which include storage for light bulbs (fluorescents, ultraviolet, and LED), aerosol cans, and batteries, which are disposed of by a recycling contractor. 

With extensive expertise in packing hazardous waste, CSS staff prepare materials for quarterly shipments for safe transport to a waste disposal facility. 

CSS’ proper handling and management of hazardous waste continues to help safeguard CDC campuses from unnecessary risk and reduce incidents.

50 gallon drums labeled with hazardous material
CSS staff are responsible for storing flammables, lean waters, flammable toxic chemicals, oils and buffers in 50-gallon drums.
Shelves organized with hazardous waste. Buckets and large drums line the center of the room.
CSS staff pack lab waste for quarterly shipments. 

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  • Success Stories
  • Environmental Resource Assessment & Management

New Data and Reports on the U.S. Marine Economy

Each year CSS economists on contract with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management work with other federal agencies to process the most recent economic and labor data, and extract the portions related to marine-dependent sectors.

  • Success Stories
  • Environmental Resource Assessment & Management

Examining Cetaceans for Contamination and Pathogens

CSS has employee owners who are experts in monitoring cetacean health. Several CSS scientists supporting NOAA’s Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have recently conducted research and tests on marine mammals to explore uncommon behaviors and causes for strandings. View some examples of this research below. Microplastics are becoming increasingly abundant in coastal and marine environments.…

stream running through a wooded area
  • Success Stories, Uncategorized
  • Environmental Resource Assessment & Management

Over 2000 River and Stream Samples Analyzed 

Every five years teams supporting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Aquatic Resource Survey—consisting of tribal, state, and federal partners—collect samples from over 2000 river and stream reaches throughout the United States. CSS analytical chemists support this effort by processing the samples and then analyzing them for various chemicals to help characterize their water quality.  The…