Drilling & routing dust

Thread from IPC's ComplianceNet

Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 15:29:55 -0700
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , Nirav Sheth
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: Nirav Sheth
Subject: Drilling & routing dust

Hi compliancenetters,
I was wondering how other companies are handling drilling and routing dust. Has anybody done STLC or TTLC ? Orange County Health Care Agency is requiring us to handle this waste stream as hazardous waste because drilling dust would not qualify as scrap metal.
Thanks in advance for you input.

Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 09:33:46 -0400
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , Holly Evans
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: Holly Evans
Subject: Re: Drilling & routing dust
X-To: Nirav Sheth
In-Reply-To:

Hi everyone --

The U.S. EPA considers router dust from PWB manufacture to constitute a "characteristic by-product" due to its lead content. It is, therefore, not a solid waste (and, therefore, not subject to RCRA) when it is reclaimed (See 40 CFR sec. 261.2). If it is discarded, it would be subject to RCRA.

Regarding, drilling dust, facilities would be required to conduct a TCLP test to determine whether the dust fails the TCLP for any substance. Since drill dust mainly contains copper and epoxy/glass, I doubt that it would fail TCLP, but generators must test to affirm. If it fails TCLP, the dust is a hazardous waste and subject to RCRA Subtitle C.

Does anyone have any more insight as to the regulatory status of these two by-products?

Thanks,

Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 11:48:16 -0400
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , CHRISTT@MTKA.ADVCIR.COM
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: Troy Christensen
Subject: Drilling & routing dust -Reply
X-To: owner-compliancenet@IPC.ORG

We use a company out of Minnesota to reclaim gold and copper out of the dust. We have only been doing this for about 6 weeks and are still waiting to find out if the gold and copper value of the dust will pay for itself. If you would like additional information please e-mail me direct or call me at 612-930-8067.

Troy Christensen
christt@mtka.advcir.com
Johnson Matthey Advance Circuits, Inc.
Specialty Products Division
E, H & S Engineer.
612-930-8067

Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 09:17:38 -0700
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , Debra Emery
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: Debra Emery
Subject: Drilling & routing dust -Reply

Our interpretation of the Federal regulation of drilling dust is consistent with IPC's, and we do not consider it a RCRA hazardous waste as long as it is reclaimed.

In California, our local DTSC branch has determined that drill/routing dust may be regulated as an "Excluded Recyclable Material" if it is a fine powder (<100 microns) which has hazardous constituents.

As such, it is subject to special provisions under H&S Code Section 25143.9. It must be labeled as an "Excluded Recyclable Material", but no manifest is required as long as it is reclaimed. Since this solution is very manageable, we have not had TCLP done....

Good Luck!

Debra A. Emery
Director of Facilities & Environmental Affairs
Praegitzer Industries, Inc.
Fremont Division

Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 18:14:25 -0400
Reply-To: "ComplianceNet E-Mail Forum." , lwilmot@HADCO.COM
Sender: ComplianceNet Mail Forum
From: lwilmot@HADCO.COM
Subject: Re[2]: [CN] Drilling & routing dust
X-To: Holly Evans

Holly et al,
Our TCLP tests confirm EPA's classification of rout dust, as there is enough lead in it to trip the 5 mg/l leachate threshold. However, since we recycle this under the scrap metal exemption of RCRA, it is not a solid waste.

Drill and edger dust are different, as they contain only those constituents that you've listed. I don't know if we've done TCLPs on this stream or not (I'm copying this message to our folks to see if they have), but certainly our knowledge of the process would support a non-RCRA classification. Accordingly, except for our CA facilities (which Debra Emery addressed in her reply), we landfill drill and edger dusts as the cost of recycling them is prohibitive. Our vendors are saying $100+/ton to recycle versus the local landfill fee. There's additional packaging and container management issues too.

Besides Debra's point about <100 micron rationale, CA also has a copper content threshold of 2500 mg/kg (for solids) and 25 mg/l for liquids for state wastes. If I did my math correctly, 2500 mg/kg is about 2.5%, and our analyses shows drill & edger dusts contain about 10% copper. So, unless CA changes its rules, which Lief Peterson said they are proposing to do (4/19/98 Notice of Preparation for Revisions of CA's Non-RCRA Waste Classification Regulation) at the FREE forum held at IPC Expo two weeks ago, CA shops will have to manage drill and edger dusts as a regulated state waste.

The cost of recycling drill & edger dusts is a non-starter. That is why we've linked regulatory relief on a delisted F006 sludge with recycling these dusts on a $ for $ basis in our Project XL project. Hopefully some recyclers can offer some economies for recycling both, possibly commingled, as a non-regulated solid waste?!

Lee Wilmot
HADCO Corp
603/896-2424
lwilmot@hadco.com