The Chemical and Physical Hazardous Materials Program assures response to citizen inquiries regarding infectious waste, hazardous waste, and other environmental concerns. It serves in an advisory capacity to City departments for small generator EPA hazardous waste rules, waste minimization / management and underground storage tank issues. It reviews zoning applications and performs environmental facility compliance audits. It responds to hazardous material emergencies, assesses public health significance, and provides post-incident follow up.
Mercury Reduction
The program provides information on mercury hazards and how to reduce mercury in the home, as well as performing post incident follow-up after mercury spills. A mercury thermometer exchange program is used as a method to remove mercury from the community and inform on the hazards of mercury.
Mercury Thermometer Exchange Location Information
Infectious Waste Regulation
The state of Ohio has specific regulations regarding the disposal of infectious waste. The program sanitarians perform infectious waste generator inspections in Columbus and Worthington to ensure compliance of these regulations. For information on infectious waste regulation in Ohio, follow this link to the Ohio EPA Division of Solid & Infectious Waste Management Web page.
Maternity Hospital Inspections
The program annually reviews maternity hospital physical facility conditions for general health and sanitation standards. The Columbus Board of Health recommends maternity home licenses annually prior to licenses being issued by the Ohio Department of Health. For more information on Maternity licensure visit the Ohio Department of Health Web site.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
The City of Columbus Refuse Collection Division, working with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, maintain a household hazardous waste collection site to help reduce this risk posed by old or unused household hazard waste. Examples of household hazardous waste include: paints, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, pool chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, smoke detectors, old ammunition, solvents, fertilizer and propane cylinders.
Throwing hazardous materials in the trash can result in health risk to refuse collectors, spills on streets, and contamination of the environment. Materials brought in are recycled or disposed in an environmentally friendly manner. There is no cost involved. Visit the City of Columbus Refuse Collection page for more information.
Industrial Noise Monitoring
The program responds to complaints regarding chronic noise from mainly fixed-site industrial sources that are not considered nuisance noise sources otherwise addressed by the Public Safety Department, Police Division. Program personnel utilize sound measurement equipment to survey identified sites for noise ordinance compliance and to conduct time-weighted noise measurements for comparison to ordinance limits.