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From: Alex Hagen <fischera**At_Symbol_Here**UW.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Legacy chemicals and old MSDSs
Date: Jun 6, 2025 16:37 UTC
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: <DM3PR08MB9587AD2287F35316C70614F4A36EA**At_Symbol_Here**DM3PR08MB9587.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAC4kuvsaPBDcWVmMwbHJqTPHDgZkrTjjZtJ9ST50BJjhbBO0zQ**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
Hi Corry,
Our institution has a chemical exchange program through our chemical inventory system. People can mark items as being available and then there is a list that others can visit to view what is up for grabs.
What we have found historically is: people are very willing to list their old chemicals on the exchange, because it feels like they are reducing waste and promoting sustainability; almost no one is willing
to use chemicals offered on the exchange, because they worry about items being contaminated or too old.
With the current funding crisis our researchers are experiencing, I will be curious to see if this pattern changes at all.
Best regards,
ALEX HAGEN, CCHO
Laboratory Safety Program Manager, Chemical Hygiene Officer
University of Washington, Environmental Health & Safety Department
206.221.2339
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
On Behalf Of Socorro Painter
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2025 4:54 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Legacy chemicals and old MSDSs
Hello Everyone, Legacy chemicals and chemical tracking were problems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the 1990's. Principal Investigators (PIs)
lose their funding and have to close their labs. So the chemicals have to
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Hello Everyone,
Legacy chemicals and chemical tracking were problems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the 1990's. Principal Investigators (PIs) lose their funding and have to close their labs. So the chemicals have to be disposed of
as hazardous waste, unless the next PI using the lab accepts the previous PI chemicals. I am a retired employee of the Hazardous Waste Management Division (HWMD) and we did some innovative programs back then. First we started tracking all the chemicals called
CHEMTRACK, from the time they arrived at the LLNL Receiving department to the time they were disposed of. Disposal can include actual waste disposal with a waste disposal company or taking the chemical to the Chemical Exchange Warehouse (ChEW). We have HWM
technicians whose main job is to move chemicals from the PI lab to ChEW or from ChEW to the PI lab. MSDS are on the website so users can download them if they want to order chemicals from ChEW. Chemicals are also shown on the ChEW website so a PI can check
if the chemical is available on ChEW before they buy them. Procurement has to be approved by a Hazardous waste analyst to make sure that we really don't have that chemical on ChEW or on CHEMTRACK. Sometimes they only need a few grams and they can easily borrow from
the other PI. This also saves money!
We also instituted a waste minimization program so PIs don't order more than they need of any chemical. It would be nice if most schools and other institutions have a chemical exchange program so very little chemicals actually go to waste
disposal. Another idea is to have a chemical exchange program in a smaller area like the San Francisco Bay Area. But this can involve more regulatory issues as the chemicals will be transported on the road outside the institution. In the future, some politicians
may find a way to have a chemical exchange program in a small area where different institutions can bring or borrow chemicals. Perhaps they can be exempted from some regulations while being transported from the user to the Chemical exchange warehouse or from
the warehouse to the user.
I am also interested to know how many schools, government agencies have a chemical exchange program of their own.
Corry Painter
Blogger
On Thu, Jun 5, 2025 at 9:47 AM Margaret Rakas <mrakas**At_Symbol_Here**smith.edu> wrote:
