New Challenges

The stricter governmental regulation of waste management is creating new challenges for the University, which is attempting to deal with the guidelines.

Because Harvard hires contractors specifically to dispose of waste, Griffin says the focus of the University's reforms has been on the labelling, storage and record-keeping of waste.

In each of these areas, according to Griffin, complications include the large number of chemicals used in very small quantities at a number of laboratories, as well as the need for uniform procedures at each of Harvard's campuses.

Other challenges resulting from regulations involve the more rigorous standards applied to waste than to raw chemical materials. While chemicals can sit on shelves for years, waste has to be removed in a matter of days.

The high turnover of personnel in college laboratories, a turnover not found in the industrial setting, makes implementing new techniques for waste management difficult.

Finally, the more rigorous regulations will have a great impact on Harvard's budget.

"The increase in environmental regulations have created increased demands on the administration, and on administrative budgets, in particular," says Provost Albert Carnesale.

Although Harvard can expect costs and budgets to be rise, Vautin says the specific budgetary impact of these new standards is still uncertain.

According to Vautin, because each school on Harvard's campus budgets its own waste disposal, aggregating the numbers is often a complicated matter.

In an attempt to lower the costs of complying with the stricter regulations, Harvard has improved cooperation between individual schools, heightened negotiations with waste removal contractors and implemented techniques such as "microscale" chemistry which produce less chemical waste.

Harvard's Record

According to Vautin, Harvard has not faced any significant infractions for at least five years.

The most recent unannounced inspection was of the waste processes and air quality of boiler plants at the Radcliffe campus. The inspection resulted in relatively minor recommendations which centered around improved record-keeping.

Vautin says Harvard's record is strong, especially considering that Massachusetts is generally recognized as having the some of the most stringent environmental regulations in the country.