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  • Emergency Preparedness & Response

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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