COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY DIVISON
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
Operation of Waste or Used Oil
Space Heaters MassDOT Highway Division
Facilities
EFFECTIVE
06/27/2011
ISSUED
06/27/2011
S.O.P.NO.
ENV-01-37-1-000
PAGE 1 OF 4
DISTRIBUTION
Managers, Supervisors,
District Directors
APPROVED:
Frank DePaola
(Signature on
original)
PURPOSE
To ensure that MassDOT Highway Division facilities that operate waste or used oil burners for heat comply
with the applicable Local, State, and Federal regulations and to ensure the safe handling of waste or used oil and
for burning in approved space heaters.
RESPONSIBILITY
It is the responsibility of the District Highway Director to designate District personnel responsible for providing
oversight to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, this SOP and all other applicable SOPs. It is the
responsibility of all MassDOT personnel to abide by this SOP.
The facility foreman or work shift supervisor must ensure that personnel in each work shift comply with this
SOP.
POLICY
This SOP summarizes the applicable Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations
that require safe handling of waste or used oil by those who generate, accumulate, transport, recycle, or burn it.
Waste or used oil is combustible and, because it may be contaminated with heavy metals, gasoline, and other
hazardous constituents, it is also considered toxic. Proper management is essential.
Waste or used oil destined for use in a permitted space heater is to be managed as a Regulated Recyclable
Material.
The District should also refer to the following MassDOT Highway Division SOPs: SOP 03-Hazardous Waste
Management and SOP 11-Hazardous Materials Management and should also consult the Environmental
Services - EMS/Sustainability section for further guidance in the implementation of this SOP and compliance
with applicable regulations.
Waste or Used Oil Management and Burner Operational Requirements
The District may burn waste or used oil in a space heater only if it is generated on-site or transported directly
from other MassDOT facilities that are Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQGs) of waste oil. MassDOT
VSQGs must keep signed copies of shipment receipts for at least three years.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY DIVISON
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
Operation of Waste or Used Oil
Space Heaters MassDOT Highway Division
Facilities
EFFECTIVE
06/27/2011
ISSUED
06/27/2011
S.O.P.NO.
ENV-01-37-1-000
PAGE 2 OF 4
DISTRIBUTION
Managers, Supervisors,
District Directors
APPROVED:
Frank DePaola
(Signature on
original)
The waste or used oil must:
•
contain less than 1,000 parts per million of hazardous chlorinated chemical compounds;
•
not be mixed with any other materials;
•
have a closed-cup flash point greater than 100 degrees F;
•
meet all manufacturer specifications for the space heater; and,
•
have been derived from petroleum fuels and/or lubricants, but not petrochemicals (such as chlorinated
brake fluids, and dielectric and transformer fluids that contain PCBs), animal oils, or vegetable oils.
The ECC for each district shall arrange for regular testing of waste or used oil or at the request of the applicable
Local, State or Federal regulatory body or the District.
Permits
If the District chooses to burn waste or used oil in a space heater, the District must notify DEP as a generator of
waste oil and obtain a DEP or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identification number before
accumulating or burning any waste or used oil. This Generator Identification number must be kept on file. The
District must submit a one-time Class A Recycling Notification Form to DEP before operating a space heater
unless the facility obtained a BWP HW21 Class A Recycling permit before February 27, 2004. A copy of the
Class A recycling notification form or the BWP HW21 Class A Recycling permit must kept on file at the facility
and the District headquarters.
Fire Safety Regulations
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS) separately regulates the use of oil-burning equipment
(see 527 CMR 4.00). Before burning waste or used oil in a space heater, the District must contact the local
municipal fire department regarding any local permitting and/or regulatory requirements.
Space Heater Operation
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY DIVISON
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
Operation of Waste or Used Oil
Space Heaters MassDOT Highway Division
Facilities
EFFECTIVE
06/27/2011
ISSUED
06/27/2011
S.O.P.NO.
ENV-01-37-1-000
PAGE 3 OF 4
DISTRIBUTION
Managers, Supervisors,
District Directors
APPROVED:
Frank DePaola
(Signature on
original)
•
No District facility may use a space heater with a design capacity of no more than 500,000 British
Thermal Units (BTU) per hour. The space heater may not be connected to external pipes or ducts that
provide hot water or heated air for separate industrial or commercial processes.
•
Waste or used oil can only be burned between September 15 and June 15. Do not burn waste or used oil
to generate space heat beyond normal requirements.
•
Burn (or transfer to a licensed facility for recycling) at least 75 percent of all waste or used oil
accumulated on-site during the same calendar year.
•
Keep a log of all waste or used oil generated, burned, transferred off-site and/or received from off-site
during the calendar year; and accumulated at the end of the calendar year.
•
Never modify space heaters to operate them beyond manufacturer specifications.
Collecting, transporting, and managing waste or used oil.
MassDOT facilities that are VSQGs may self-transport their own waste or used oil to space heater sites. These
facilities cannot self-transport more than 55 gallons at a time from those sites to the space heater locations.
MassDOT facilities that are Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) or Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) of waste
or used oil are not permitted to transport it for themselves or for others to the site of a space heater.
All tanks or containers storing waste or used oil must be with “REGULATED RECYCLABLE MATERIAL,”
“USED OIL FUEL,” “TOXIC” and the date on which accumulation began in capital letters at least one inch
high. Tanks that are hard piped and/or integrally connected to space heaters do not need to be dated.
Containers or caddies specifically used for transferring waste or used oil to the waste or used oil storage area
must be emptied at the end of the work shift.
Keep all tanks and containers closed except when adding or removing waste or used oil. Use proper equipment
(drum funnels, drum absorbent pads, etc) to minimize spillage during adding or removing waste or used oil. If a
spill occurs, cleanup the spill immediately as per SOP 03 and SOP 11 and in accordance with the facility
Emergency Spill Response Plan.
The volume of waste or used oil that is accumulated and stored/and managed as a Regulated Recyclable material
is not counted toward the facility’s hazardous waste storage accumulation limit.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY DIVISON
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
Operation of Waste or Used Oil
Space Heaters MassDOT Highway Division
Facilities
EFFECTIVE
06/27/2011
ISSUED
06/27/2011
S.O.P.NO.
ENV-01-37-1-000
PAGE 4 OF 4
DISTRIBUTION
Managers, Supervisors,
District Directors
APPROVED:
Frank DePaola
(Signature on
original)