SOFTWARE FOR TRACKING CONTAINERIZED WASTE FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE

摘要

Accurate and efficient management of hazardous waste is not only a regulatory requirement but goodrnmanagement practice as well. Local, state, and federal requirements for managing waste include a multitudernof reports and paperwork to verify and validate the characterization, location, and status of each wasterncontainer. Without the aid of a computerized system, this task would be daunting. Even if the data werernorganized efficiently, the ability to provide characterization or inventory reports at a moment’s notice wouldrnbe next to impossible. The Integrated Waste Tracking System (IWTS) developed at the Idaho NationalrnEngineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is a computerized database system designed for wasternmanagement personnel to document, report, and track containerized waste from cradle to grave. IWTSrnconsists of a sophisticated yet intuitive workstation client and a robust and fully scaleable database server tornprovide a full spectrum of waste characterization information. IWTS can track waste from initial generationrnthrough processing and disposal, provide a series of reports to verify inventory, dynamically evaluaternoperational limits at the time a transaction is made, summarize waste generation, and produce shippingrndocumentation, including the EPA Hazardous Waste Manifest. In addition to inventory specific reports,rnsummary level reports that utilize the same data are created on the Intranet, thus providing up-to-the minuterninformation for a broader range of users (e.g. management and emergency planners). IWTS has extendedrnthe workstation client through the use of hand-held tools to assist waste handling personnel with inventoryrnand routine tasks. With over a million records on the system, IWTS has provided the INEEL with wasterntracking, characterization, and inventory for over two years. IWTS is the INEEL’s tool for more efficientrnand accurate management of its waste.