Ernest R. Gomez, left, and Monico Madarang, both Code 6.8.3.4, stand next to super sacks and triwalls containing hazardous waste materials that will be picked up by Public Works for proper disposal.

Chemical hazardous waste is pumped into these bowsers, which hold up to 1,500 gallons each.

Monico Madarang prepares to pump out a Baker tank (background) into a bowser at the Paint Complex. Each tank holds 4,000 gallons of chemical waste.

Hazardous waste handlers protect the environment
Story and photos by Bill Bartkus

When it comes to hazardous waste disposal at Naval Air Depot North Island, the command’s hazardous waste disposers know it all and do it right. “Base Operations group consists of many organizations,” said Byron Doung, Code 6.8, Base Operations manager, “and one of the key ones is the chemical handlers who support production.”

Doung said that the hazardous waste handler teams, “have a really important job of supporting the shops and picking up hazardous waste. It’s a tough job,” he said.

“The hazardous waste handler teams must conform to federal, state and county regulations. We are on a hazardous waste program that’s controlled by the San Diego Navy Public Works Center, and we can only retain hazardous waste for 90 days,” said Paul Bromma, Code 6.8.3, environmental protection specialist. “After 90 days, each container of hazardous waste becomes a violation with substantial and adverse consequences to this command.” Bromma said that this is one-half of the equation. “If a process shop has a bad solution in the tank, it stops all the work. This is the other half of the equation.” He said that the hazardous waste handlers need to get in there immediately, pump out the old solution, dispose of it as hazardous waste, and replace it with new solution.

Sonny Wiley, Code 6.8.3.4, supervises the three teams composed of 14 people in the shop who work around the clock picking up solid and chemical hazardous waste from all the Depot buildings and haul it to the Depot’s central berm area near Building 379. “The solid hazardous waste people work days, and the chemical hazardous waste disposers work in two shifts,” he said.

Wiley said that there are two types of handling and three stages to properly dispose of hazardous waste. “There’s material handling, which includes solid waste like rags, filters and sponges; and there’s chemical handling. The three stages are pick up, delivery to the berm area, and getting the material ready for shipping,” he said. “We either ship hazardous waste to the Public Works Center (at North Island) or to DRMO (Defense Reutilization Management Office),” he said. “We ship about 80 percent to DRMO (at the Navy Outlying Landing Field in Imperial Beach).”

Of course the job isn’t that easy. Wiley and his teams must ensure that everything is accomplished safely and according to federal, state and county regulations, plus all the proper paperwork must be processed correctly. “Someone from either Public Works or DRMO, depending on where the hazardous waste is being shipped, will come to the berm area and inspect what is being shipped,” Wiley stated.

“DRMO inspectors check every container to be sure that everything is correct and in proper order. The paperwork is sent out several days earlier,” he said. “They also review the paperwork before they come to inspect us.” To save money, the Depot keeps and ships solid hazardous waste in super sacks or triwalls rather than drums. “Since we’re charged by the pound to dispose of solids, super sacks and triwalls are not as heavy as drums, so we store the waste in these containers which weigh less than drums. We save money.” Triwalls are premanufactured super-sturdy cardboard boxes that come equipped with a type of plastic lining that acts as a bag. Super sacks are heavy-lined bags.

The Depot hasn’t had a major violation in some time, according to Wiley. This is testament to the hard work and attention to detail by everyone at the Depot who is involved in the hazardous waste process. “If we receive any violations, we correct them on site,” said Wiley.

According to law, Wiley’s team has 75 days to dispose of any hazardous waste material. This time period includes the number of days that the hazardous waste is kept at the shops before Wiley’s teams pick it up. “If a shop keeps it for 60 days, then we have 30 days to dispose of the material,” he stipulated. “Public Works has another 90 days to dispose of the material after they get it from us.”