How Used Oil Recycling with a Waste Oil Furnace Helps Keep Businesses EPA-Compliant

With strict “cradle to grave laws” in place to enforce safe disposal of waste oil, businesses can’t afford not to take the proper precautions and procedures. If a company hires a used oil transporter to haul waste oil from its site, that business can still be held responsible if the transporter fails to dispose of all waste oil properly. Fortunately, used oil recycling with a waste oil furnace offers a way to stay compliant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s rules, and also save money on energy costs.

Businesses classified as used oil generators (e.g., trucking companies, auto dealerships, service stations, car washes, companies with fleets of vehicles, and farming operations), must comply with EPA regulation management standards for handling, storing, and disposing of waste oil. Keep in mind, some states have rules in place that are even stricter than the EPA’s rules.

Overview of EPA Requirements for Used Oil Generators
If your business is considered a used oil generator, here are some of the EPA rules you must follow:

• You are responsible for preventing leaks and spills. Take care when transferring used oil from equipment and machinery into storage containers. You should keep sorbent materials on-site in case of a leak or spill.
• You must label containers and tanks that store used oil as “used oil.” They may not present any signs of leaks, rust, or deterioration. If tanks have any structural defects, you must repair or replace them immediately.
• If you clean up a spill or leak and the sorbent materials or rags that you used to have oil on them, you should remove as much of the free-flowing oil as possible. Then, manage that oil in the same way you would have before the mishap. That free-flowing used oil removed from the cleanup materials can be managed as solid waste, provided it doesn’t present any hazardous waste characteristics. The rags and sorbent materials continue to be regulated as used oil if they are to be burned for energy recovery (regardless of the degree of removal).
• If you want to remove used oil and dispose of it off-site, you must use a transporter with a valid EPA number to haul away your used oil. You may haul it yourself if you fulfill all the requirements that apply to transporters.

Used Oil Recycling – A Better Way to Dispose of Waste Oil
According to the EPA, “Burners of used oil that meet a certain set of quality standards, ‘the used oil specifications,’ are not regulated under the used oil management standards, as long as the used oil is burned in appropriate boilers, furnaces, or incinerators.”

With a Clean Energy Heating Systems waste oil furnace, you can be EPA-compliant by recycling your used oil to generate heat for your building. That means you don’t have to incur the expense of hiring a qualified transporter to remove used oil from your site. You’ll have the peace of mind in knowing exactly where your used oil is at all times.

Contact us to learn more about how our waste oil furnaces can cut your heating costs, eliminate used oil transport costs, and keep you in good standing with the EPA, state, and local agencies.