Stupid EPA regulatory nonsense strikes my profession.

[DaveSimmons]

Auto shops used to be allowed to pour used oil down the drain so that it went into the local waters too.

Curse you EPA for trying to keep the water clean! A little motor oil in the water table never hurt anyone! Heck, dinosaurs were MADE of the stuff and it never hurt them!

At least our water can still be filled with lawn fertilizer, weed killer and pesticides. Water just ain't as tasty without the tang of a little Roundup.

We should just disband the EPA altogether and trust in the free market to keep our air and water clean.

 

[BoberFett]

Auto shops used to be allowed to pour used oil down the drain so that it went into the local waters too.

Curse you EPA for trying to keep the water clean! A little motor oil in the water table never hurt anyone! Heck, dinosaurs were MADE of the stuff and it never hurt them!

At least our water can still be filled with lawn fertilizer, weed killer and pesticides. Water just ain't as tasty without the tang of a little Roundup.

We should just disband the EPA altogether and trust in the free market to keep our air and water clean.

Do body shops own the local sewage systems? How about the local water supply? If they're putting oil into the sewers and water supply, that can be dealt with without pages and pages of regulations. The city which does own the sewers and water supply can simply charge the entities at fault for the price of cleanup. That's how the free market works.

Murder laws don't stop murder, they can only prescribe punishment. Likewise, regulation will never prevent bad action by those intent on defrauding or damaging, it can only prescribe punishment.

 

[Lanyap]

This has nothing to do with "expertise." I can take your word on every single anecdote that you've ever posted about re: government red tape in your field. The trouble is your posts are not constructive. You basically just complain, then make all sorts of generalizations about government being our new "overlords" or thinking they know better, etc. There is no acknowledgement in your posts of the benefits of anything that government does. Apparently the benefits to you are invisible so you simply take them for granted. Take your AIDS case, for example. I asked you once, and you failed to explain, how your AIDS patient would ever have gotten treatment in the first place without Medicaid. Frankly I'm not really sure what you stand for in all of this. You stop short of saying get rid of all government regulations because you're some kind of self styled centrist. Yet you also aren't interested in offering solutions or participating in the process to improve governance because it's easier to get on the bandwagon of complaining about "government red tape."

It's not as if participation can't yield results. Take the very issue you raised in this thread:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/wastetypes/universal/pharm-rule.htm

From what I can gather, certain pharmaceuticals (31 drugs) and their containers were classified as hazardous waste, I think either in 2008 or 2009. Apparently there were complaints about the compliance measures from pharmacies and hospitals and now the EPA has proposed to reclassify these pharmaceuticals as "universal waste" rather than hazardous waste. I don't know what the more stringent requirements have been, but "universal waste" disposal, from what I have read, requires basically that certain things be deposited in compliant containers and that whoever receives and transports the waste be capable of handling it. Staff training is also required, which consists of telling the employees which substances they have to be put in those containers. There are no records keeping requirements for small businesses. Larger business have to keep rudimentary records of when waste is shipped out and to whom. The estimated cost to small businesses is ZERO.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/tex...rgn=div5&view=text&node=40:27.0.1.1.7&idno=40

I should also mention that states will be free to adopt more stringent regulations than this so you might want to keep an eye on that if you are truly concerned.

Honestly this sort of mentality is exactly why the global economy was decimated in 2008, and why the lesson people seem to have learned from it is that we need LESS government regulation. I think it's possible that some day the anti-government types may experience their libertarian utopia in this country and then you can find out what life without government regulations and services is really like. Good luck. If I'm alive at the time, I'll be living elsewhere.

- wolf

From your EPA link.

EPA understands that many health care facilities may be unaware of the applicability of RCRA hazardous waste regulations to their hazardous pharmaceutical wastes and, thus, EPA anticipates that this proposed rule will also alert generators to the applicability of the RCRA hazardous waste regulations to their waste streams.

Based on this statement and the disposal change brought up by the OP, it sounds like his pharmacy like many other health care related facilities were not aware that empty bottles of certain drugs and used alcohol swabs were considered hazardous waste. Before this change they were probably throwing all empty bottles in regular trash. So from his standpoint, this government regulation change made his job more complicated. Now he has to look at all empty bottles he handles to determine if it falls into this special catagory. He has to deal with regular waste, red bag hazardous waste and the new green bag universal waste. His company also had to contract to handle this special waste.

From the government's standpoint, they think they made it easier when in fact, they made it more complicated for some businesses and the working joe. I can understand the OP's frustration.

 

[Moonbeam]

Vox clamantis in deserto.

The other day my battery died and some super human being saw that and gave me a jump. Then I needed gas so I left the engine running. A few days later I took this 2001 low emissions Honda to get a smog test. Passed emissions fine but a check light and computer code had been triggered because the gas cap being off showed the tank wasn't sealed. So I had to pay for the smog test and went over to Honda, a block away, fortunately for me to cancel the code. Next closest is over by Tau Ceti. Honda informs me that it will take an hour of driving for the computer to reset after they do whatever it was that they did. So a block away is a bit too close for an hour's drive. Next day I come back and the smog guy says, don't take a chance. By this time I need gas again so I go the shell station not too far from my house where I am used to going but don't go any more because the assholes have TV broadcasting adds as you fill up, and at a volume that hurts my ears.

So like a horse to the barn I go there and say fuck it when I see what I've done and start to get gas, but some asshole is cleaning the station grounds with a leaf blower blowing shit in everybody's face so, with my usual calm I jump in the Honda and take off. When I get to the ARCO station down the street, what do I find, or in this case not find, you got it, my gas cap. So I go back to look for it and ask the guy with the blower, but he doesn't speak English and my cap is nowhere to be found. So I go to Honda and a new cap is only 34 dollars but the check engine light gas tank leak thingi may again have come on so I have to go through all the BS again. (All this shit of course happens to me because I hate myself) I won't tell you about the ticket I got parking my car in my own driveway.

One nice thing about the tea party is that they may fulfill a growing wish of mine that this country and everybody ruining it goes down the toilet. But I have little hope for the results. The low flow fucking toilets don't flush.

 

[Lanyap]

The low flow fucking toilets don't flush.

Especially when you are dealing with an "act of congress".

 

[Budmantom]

Arent some light bulbs that the government mandated to replace the $00.25 incandescent bulbs just as hazardous?

Those squiggly little buggers and the noisy bird killing wind mills do nothing but good for mother earth...... now stop asking leading question..... racist!

 

[Budmantom]

Looks like we need some EPA work by wherever you live, there's definitely something in your water that's affected your brain.

This must be the Obama jobs plan......

 

[woolfe9999]

From your EPA link.



Based on this statement and the disposal change brought up by the OP, it sounds like his pharmacy like many other health care related facilities were not aware that empty bottles of certain drugs and used alcohol swabs were considered hazardous waste. Before this change they were probably throwing all empty bottles in regular trash. So from his standpoint, this government regulation change made his job more complicated. Now he has to look at all empty bottles he handles to determine if it falls into this special catagory. He has to deal with regular waste, red bag hazardous waste and the new green bag universal waste. His company also had to contract to handle this special waste.

From the government's standpoint, they think they made it easier when in fact, they made it more complicated for some businesses and the working joe. I can understand the OP's frustration.

I can always understand frustration over anything that is inconvenient. It's a matter of keeping things in proper perspective...

And the other point here, in case you missed it, is that the OP is under the impression that the regulators don't listen to anyone in his industry, which assumption is essentially disproven in this instance by the reclassification I linked.

 

[Thump553]

The low flow fucking toilets don't flush.

Funny thing about low flush toilets. I have a relative-nice guy but a typical Rush dittohead, the type that has a five year stock of incadescent bulbs and smuggles in his old fashioned high flush toilets from Canada. For most of this past week we've had no power due to Irene. He's now constantly bitching that his toilets take five gallons of lugged in water to flush. Some people you just can't make happy.

 

[BoberFett]

especially when you are dealing with an "act of congress".

LMFAO! :thumbsup:

 

[Lanyap]

I can always understand frustration over anything that is inconvenient. It's a matter of keeping things in proper perspective...

And the other point here, in case you missed it, is that the OP is under the impression that the regulators don't listen to anyone in his industry, which assumption is essentially disproven in this instance by the reclassification I linked.

OP is in the pharmacy industry. Unless you saw something at the EPA link that I didn't, we don't know if his industry complained or provided input to the original rule. What I did see is that the first regulation the EPA issued was difficult to administer for some healthcare related entities and it was brought to their attention. They changed the rule to make it easier to administer but the end result is the same in that it creates an additional burden on affected companies and workers. If the EPA made the original rule for pills only then it would have been easy for the healthcare entities to follow since they already have the red hazardous trash disposal methods in place.

I agree with the rule for disposing of the actual pills but I think they went too far with the empty old pill bottles and alcohol counter wipes. And that was the OP's original point.

This proposed rule applies to:

pharmacies,
hospitals,
physicians’ offices,
dentists’ offices,
outpatient care centers,
ambulatory health care services,
residential care facilities,
veterinary clinics, and
other facilities that generate hazardous pharmaceutical wastes.

 

[fskimospy]

Do body shops own the local sewage systems? How about the local water supply? If they're putting oil into the sewers and water supply, that can be dealt with without pages and pages of regulations. The city which does own the sewers and water supply can simply charge the entities at fault for the price of cleanup. That's how the free market works.

Murder laws don't stop murder, they can only prescribe punishment. Likewise, regulation will never prevent bad action by those intent on defrauding or damaging, it can only prescribe punishment.

Laws and regulations don't stop all bad action, but they most certainly reduce it through the deterrent effect.

Say a local government finds that its water is filled with oil and wants to do as you suggest. Exactly how do you suggest that this government figure out the quantity of damage caused by each oil disposing entity so that they can be accordingly billed? Should they just split the bill between all auto body shops regardless of how they operated? How would that possibly work, be fair, or act to prevent future oil spills as all auto shops are billed regardless of their actions?

I'm sure these solutions sound like good ideas in your head, but the real world doesn't work that way.

 

[IGBT]

Those squiggly little buggers and the noisy bird killing wind mills do nothing but good for mother earth...... now stop asking leading question..... racist!

the liberal focus groups (Oxymoron) indicates you are supposed to include the word bigot when calling the target a racist.

 

[fskimospy]

the liberal focus groups (Oxymoron) indicates you are supposed to include the word bigot when calling the target a racist.

But what about the eco KOOKS?! TELL US ABOUT THE KOOKS.

 

[nick1985]

Then you overestimate your middling intellect.

And Wolf appears far too polite with a hack like you. Pearls cast before swine, I'm sure you know the story.

Damn, brought the lurker out of the woodwork to launch some scathing personal attacks...

 

[Budmantom]

But what about the eco KOOKS?! TELL US ABOUT THE KOOKS.

We just call them democrats or communists, one and the same.

1st global cooling than global warming now climate change.

 

[xj0hnx]

1st global cooling than global warming now climate change.

Well they gotta keep their boogeyman up to date.

 

[fskimospy]

Anyone who actually believes that global cooling and global warming were analogous scientific concerns is retarded.

In related news, Budmantom is retarded.

 

[IGBT]

Well they gotta keep their boogeyman up to date.

they changed their alarmist grift so anything can be blamed on warming/cooling/humans/cow farts/fill in the blank .

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

6

then you overestimate your middling intellect.

And wolf appears far too polite with a hack like you. Pearls cast before swine, i'm sure you know the story.

66.

 

[Budmantom]

Anyone who actually believes that global cooling and global warming were analogous scientific concerns is retarded.

In related news, Budmantom is retarded.

That would be the whole dumocratic party.

You are a believer in "climate change" aren't you boy?

 

[fskimospy]

That would be the whole dumocratic party.

You are a believer in "climate change" aren't you boy?

'Dumocratic' was a sick burn, brah. You should go on the road with this show.

Don't get mad that I called you stupid though, the truth hurts a bit at first.

 

[Budmantom]

'Dumocratic' was a sick burn, brah. You should go on the road with this show.

Don't get mad that I called you stupid though, the truth hurts a bit at first.

C'mon say it, you are a believer aren't you?

 

[Modelworks]

The epa changed my industry long ago with the ROHS stuff. ROHS is basically the removal of things like lead from electronics. You may think, thats great ! but wait just a minute. Lead has been used in solder since soldering was invented. It works great, melts perfectly, provides a connection that lasts decades and is cheap. EPA forced removal because of toxic effects, if you eat it. I have handled lead solder for 30+ years and have zero lead content in my blood, because I don't eat it . Now I have to use the sucky replacement solder that doesn't contain lead and melts poorly, tends to develop cracks much easier and cost more .

 

[Budmantom]

'Dumocratic' was a sick burn, brah. You should go on the road with this show.

Don't get mad that I called you stupid though, the truth hurts a bit at first.

Sure is warm outside, do you think it's climate change or is recovery summer normally this hot?