Two operators interviewed by this reporter believe they have the best reasons to keep their shops safe and clean besides mere compliance with environmental regulations.
For Boy Garcia, who runs Diamond Auto Center in Garapan, most important is the safety of workers and the people who live nearby.
Garcia’s house, along with the apartments of his workers, sits just next to the auto shop. So it is very important for him and his workers to be mindful of the impact of waste produced by his business on a daily basis.
Every year, Garcia said Diamond Auto Center comes up with five 55-gallon barrels of used oil. This, he said, is the maximum volume allowed by the government so they always make sure these are taken to legitimate companies for incineration.
Compared to other auto shops on island, Diamond Auto Care doesn’t produce a lot of used oil each year, Garcia said.
He said the proper disposal of used oil does not cost them too much. It’s just $110 per barrel every year, which is much less compared to the cost of an accident caused by auto shop waste.
Used batteries and junk cars, Garcia said, are sold to recyclers.
He also noted that the Division of Environmental Quality, the Commonwealth Zoning Administration and the Bureau of Environmental Health monitor auto shops regularly.
Beach Road Auto Repair Shop, for its part, produces five to six barrels of used oil every six months.
Shop supervisor Ricardo Dela Rosa Jr. said they also make sure waste materials are incinerated on a regular basis.
He said they strictly comply with regulations because most vehicle owners on island rely on them for car maintenance. So they can’t afford to get in trouble with regulatory agencies.
“We make sure we comply with environmental regulations not only on used oil but also with junk cars,” Dela Rosa said.
Probably the biggest auto shop on Saipan, Beach Road Auto Repair Shop sits on an 8,000-square meter lot teeming with junk vehicles.
These, Dela Rosa said, do not stay too long in the shop.
Besides recyclers who collect dilapidated car bodies, many clients seeking cheap auto parts also come to salvage these from junk vehicles.
Dela Rosa said before they store junk cars, they drain the oil and other hazardous liquids. They will also take out the engines and store them properly.
Auto shop wastes
There are two environmentally harmful materials that auto shops produce and must discard and dispose of properly: used oil and hazardous wastes.
Used oil, which may be a valuable resource, can also pollute soil and groundwater.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency supports programs for the proper recycling of used oil.
Used oil must not be dumped on the ground, in the trash and sewers. It must be taken to reputable recyclers or burned in a government-approved waste oil heater.
When storing used oil, make sure the container has lockable cap. In cleaning up minor spills, use soak-up materials like saw dust. Also make sure the storage is leak-proof and spill-proof with covers to prevent water from filling the tank of container.
There are four types of hazardous wastes produced by auto shops.
First are flammable wastes. They easily catch fire and burn rapidly. These include paint thinner and other cleaning solvents.
Second are corrosive wastes. These are chemicals or vapors that can destroy a material of a living tissue.
Examples are battery acid, floor cleaners, paint trippers and aluminum cleaners.
Third are reactive wastes. They are products that contain chemicals that could have hazardous reactions if combined with air, water and other substances that are not usually present in auto shops.
Fourth are toxic wastes. They are concentrated chemicals that leach into groundwater and at landfills. Examples of these are benzene, lead batteries, paint and mercury batteries.
Ways to reduce hazardous wastes
1. Keep hazardous and non-hazardous waste separate to minimize disposal cost.
2. Use dry materials in cleaning spills to avoid having hazardous wastewater.
3. Avoid solvent-based cleaners
4. Switch to citrus-based cleaning solvents
5. Recycle and re-use anti-freeze agents
6. Use environmentally friendly floor cleaning materials
7. Buy reusable absorbents
8. Maintain a good inventory to avoid outdated stocks which may produce chemicals that need to be disposed.
