U.S. Navy Ship Salvage Manual Volume 6 - Oil Spill Response

S0300-A6-MAN-060If the material is a hazardous waste, documentation, including a hazardous waste manifest, mustbe prepared. It is possible for a substance that is not considered hazardous for disposal to be consideredhazardous for transportation. 49 CFR 172.101 lists materials considered hazardous fortransportation, including petroleum and petroleum products. The intent of documentation is toprovide accountability for the material from the origin to the place of final disposal. Some stateshave their own versions of these forms along with an indexing system to further refine accountability.The documentation process requires that a copy of the manifest be sent to the appropriateregulatory agency each time the material is shipped from one handler to another. This procedurecreates a paper trail so the material may be traced from origin to final disposal.If the material is to be recycled or is not a hazardous waste, preparation of regular shipping papersthat identify ownership, quantity and destination is sufficient. Materials that are not hazardouswastes require no paper trail.7-7.3 Methods for Disposal of Non-Hazardous Oils. Waste oil and oily debris should be recycledwhenever possible. Recycling, usually the least expensive method of disposal, is encouragedby regulatory agencies to reduce the rate at which materials are deposited in landfills and to preventground water contamination. Waste oil may be recycled into another petroleum product or asan energy source.7-7.3.1 Recycled Oil. Federal regulations consider oil that is not a hazardous waste as used oil.Used oils are recycled by blending with other oils for fuels or by utilizing them in the manufactureof asphalt. Much used oil is combined and blended with other oils.Oil pumped from skimmers and containment booms to tank barges and vacuum trucks containsvarying amounts of water, often as an emulsion. As a rule of thumb, recycling facilities accept oilwatermixtures that contain more than five percent oil. Therefore, reducing the amount of watercontained in recovered oil enhances the opportunity for recycling.Regional and local contingency plans should contain information about facilities equipped torecycle oil. Federal and state environmental officials also have this information.7-7.3.2 Energy Recovery. Waste oil destined for burning as fuel in furnaces or boilers is treatedas used oil fuel. Like recycled oil, it is often blended with other fuels before marketing. In somecases it is burned directly, as are some used engine oils.7-7.3.3 Recycle as Asphalt. Asphalt plants accept a wide range of oils. They are excellent placesto dispose of oil and some oily debris. The plants may recycle emulsified oil and some compactedoily debris and usually accept oily sand removed from contaminated beaches.7-7.3.4 Incineration. It is sometimes advantageous to burn oil-contaminated debris at the spillsite. Determining factors for this method of disposal include the type of debris, type and amountof pollutants generated from combustion, remoteness of the site and viability of other options fordisposal. Incineration is appropriate for burning relatively small amounts of oily debris in aremote areas where smoke may not be objectionable.7-12