Small Quantity Generator (SQG)
Under Sections 403.7234 and 403.7225, Florida Statutes, each county is
required to notify small businesses of their legal responsibilities in
properly managing their hazardous wastes. In 1990, The Environmental
Protection Commission was cha  rged
with carrying out this mission for
Hillsborough
County.
The Small Quantity Generator (SQG) Program is a
state-mandated program that requires counties to educate
small
businesses regarding the
hazardous waste regulations they must comply with.
There are over 16,000 businesses in Hillsborough County that have the potential to
generate hazardous wastes.
Studies have shown that small businesses can actually generate more waste
than large businesses when they are looked at as a whole.
In 2007, over 3400 inspections of small businesses were performed and
documented over 695,000 gallons of used oil; 108,000 batteries; and over
60,000 pounds of cleaning solvent waste was generated and disposed of from
small businesses. That is just
a small sampling of the types and quantities of wastes that small businesses
can generate. Because of this
and EPC’s overall mission to protect the environment, staffs understand that
small businesses do not always have the resources needed to ensure
compliance with the regulations so extra time is spent explaining the
regulations in common-sense terms and suggesting easy, inexpensive options a
business can implement to achieve compliance. Click here to find out
what to expect during a verification inspection.
Over the years, new programs have been incorporated into
the SQG program that is mutually beneficial to both industry and the
environment. The
Pollution Prevention (P2) Program
is a free, non-regulatory program that will conduct onsite technical
audits and advise businesses of ways they can either eliminate or
significantly reduce the amount of wastes they generate.
The
Green Yard Program is
similar to P2 except it deals specifically with the auto recycling industry.
Since it’s inception in 2004, 11 auto recycling facilities have been
certified as Green Yards.
Also part of the SQG program is the
Green Star Program.
This program focus on the automotive repair industry and helping
facilities go above and beyond normal compliance.
To date, there are 15 facilities certified as Green Stars.
In addition to these, the School Inspection Program has been
incorporated as well. Schools
are unique in that waste streams from several different industry types can
be generated at one school.
Because the SQG program is focused on educating the public about hazardous
wastes, what better place than schools to really push the point home.
If the environment is to continue to be protected, it is up to us to
ensure that the next generation understands the consequences of improper
management of wastes. The
School Program is first making sure the schools themselves are in compliance
with the regulations. The
second step is to help schools go above and beyond compliance by introducing
P2 concepts.
Finally, staff can not be everywhere so we rely on the
community to notify us of anything they see that may be a danger to the
environment. If you think a
business is not managing their wastes correctly, please complete the
Report Environmental
Violations form with all applicable information.
The complaint will be investigated within at least 5 days.
Anonymous complaints are accepted.
The SQG Program alone inspected 103 complaints in 2007.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please
call (813) 627-2600 and ask for a representative of the SQG Program.
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