Hazardous Waste - Waste Generation and Management (GM) Form

The GM Form is used by certain sites for reporting their waste generation and management activities during odd-numbered report years (i.e., 2009, 2011, etc.). The Web reporting system determines which sites need to submit the GM Form.

Purpose

The GM Form documents the source, characteristics and quantity of hazardous waste generated on-site; the quantity of hazardous waste manage on-site and the on-site management methods; and the quantity of hazardous waste shipped off-site and the off-site management methods. Starting with the 2009 report year, information about waste minimization activities and results for each type of waste will be collected on the GM Form.

GM Form Completion Requirements

The completion of the GM Form is required for large quantity generators (LQGs) and treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDs) for odd-numbered report years. The GM Form is required if the site generated hazardous waste that, during the report year, was accumulated on-site; managed on-site in a treatment, storage, or disposal unit; and/or shipped off-site for management.

Wastes Which Must Be Reported on the GM Form

If the GM Form is complete, each type of hazardous waste generated on-site must be reported, including those generated from production processes, from the treatment of non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste residuals generated from the management of a hazardous waste.

A separate and independent GM Form must be submitted for each type of hazardous waste, including the following:

• generated on-site from production processes or service activities;
• generated as the result of a spill cleanup, equipment decommissioning or other remedial cleanup activity;
• generated from the management of a non-hazardous waste type;
• shipped off-site;
• received from off-site and not recycled, blended or otherwise treated on-site;
• residual generated from the on-site treatment, disposal or recycling of hazardous waste;
• removed from on-site storage for treating, recycling or disposal on-site or shipment off-site;
• imported from a foreign country during the report year.

Alternative Submittal of GM Form Information

For sites needing to report a large number (20+) of the GM Form, there is an alternative submittal method outside the Web reporting system. Send an email with your site information (facility name, EPA ID and Facility ID number), requesting the GM Form specifications. File specifications and instructions will be sent by email.

Wastes Which Do Not Need to Be Reported on the GM Form

(See ss. NR 661.04, NR 661.06, NR 661.07, NR 661.08 and NR 661.09, Wis. Adm. Code, for more information.)

The following wastes should not be reported on the GM Form.

• Hazardous waste exported directly to a foreign country.
• Materials that are excluded from being a solid waste.
• Solid wastes that are excluded from being hazardous waste.
• Waste exempt from regulation because it has not exited the raw material storage or production unit yet.
• Hazardous waste that has been collected as a sample(s) for the purpose of determining its characteristic or composition.
• Sample(s) undergoing treatability studies.
• Hazardous waste that is a specified recyclable material.
• A residue of hazardous waste in an empty container or in an inner liner removed from an empty container.
• PCB waste regulated under the Toxic Substance Control Act.
• Wastes managed immediately upon generation only in on-site elementary neutralization units, wastewater treatment units or totally enclosed treatment facilities. Any hazardous waste residues generated from these units, however, must be reported on GM Form.
• Wastes recycled, without prior storage, only in an on-site process subject to regulation.
• Used oil that is recycled.
• Spent lead-acid batteries. Any hazardous waste generated during battery reclamation, however, must be reported on GM Form.
• Universal wastes.

GM Form Screen Instructions

You should note the following:

• In the Web reporting system, each type of hazardous waste reported in the last “long” report year for your facility will be displayed in the upper part of the screen.
• Edit or delete waste streams in the list to reflect the waste generated during this report year.
• If no waste records are displayed for your facility (only an empty record), add each type of waste you need to report on. Start by editing the empty record in the upper part of the screen. Then click the Save button there and your waste record will be added.
• Add more waste streams by completing the area below the list with waste code, source code, form code and waste description; then click the Add button to the left. In order to successfully add a waste record, each set consisting of waste code, source code and form code must be unique.
• Once added, the waste streams will be saved, but reporting is not considered complete for them until waste amounts generated and managed are reported in the lower half of the screen.
• When the waste list is complete, click the radio button to the left to highlight a waste.
• Complete Sections I and II for this waste giving details about the amount of waste generated, managed on-site and shipped off-site; then click the Add button to the left of the line.
• Add comments about this waste stream in the Comments section.
• Click the Save GM Information button.
• A check mark will appear in the complete column for highlighted waste stream when all information is complete.

GM Form Detailed Information

Top Portion of Screen (Waste Characteristics)

This area requests information on the waste characteristics of each hazardous waste stream. Remember that a separate GM Form is needed for each hazardous waste that was generated on-site; treated, recycled or disposed on-site; or shipped off-site.

• Primary Hazardous Waste Code – Using the pull-down menu, enter the primary hazardous waste code that best applies to the waste. If the waste was shipped off-site, you can obtain this code from the hazardous waste manifest.
• Source Code – Using the pull-down menu, enter the Source Code that best describes the production, service or waste management process that was the source associated with generation of the waste. If a Source Code of G25 is reported, you must also provide the Management Method Code. Source Code G25 indicates that this waste was generated from a hazardous waste management system. Use the pull-down menu to enter the appropriate Management Method Code for the waste.
• Form Code – Review the Form Codes from the pull-down menu and enter the code that best corresponds to the physical/chemical state of the hazardous waste.
• Waste Description – Provide a short narrative description of the waste, citing:
• general type;
• source;
• type of hazard; and
• generic chemical name or primary hazardous constituents.

In the example below, note that the general type (spent solvent), source (degreasing operation in tool production), type of hazard (ignitability) and generic chemical names (mineral spirits and kerosene) have all been cited.

Example: “Ignitable spent solvent form degreasing operation in tool production; mixture of mineral sprits and kerosene.”

Section I (Generation)

Section I requests information on the quantities of hazardous waste generated and waste minimization activities.

• Quantity Generated – Enter the total quantity of the hazardous waste that was generated.
• Unit of Measure – Using the pull-down menu enter the unit of measure for the quantity reported. Quantities must be reported in one of the units of measure listed below. If a volumetric measure (gallons, liters or cubic yards) is selected, the density of the waste must be reported.
• Unit of Measures – pounds, short tons (2,000 pounds), kilograms, metric tons (1,000 kilograms), gallons, liters or cubic yards
• Density – If you entered gallons, liters or cubic yards, provide the density in either pounds per gallon (lbs./gal.) or specific gravity (sg) and use the pull-down menu to indicate which measure was used.
• Waste Minimization Code - Using the pull-down menu, enter the waste minimization code that best corresponds to waste minimization, recycling, or pollution prevention efforts implemented to reduce the volume and toxicity of the hazardous waste reported. Choose from the following codes:
• X - No waste minimization efforts were implemented for this waste.
• N - Waste minimization efforts were unsuccessful in reducing quantity and/or toxicity (give details in Comments section).
• S - Began to ship waste off-site for recycling.
• R - Recycling on-site was implemented and was successful.
• Y - Waste minimization was implemented and was successful in reducing quantity and/or toxicity (give details in Comments section)

This waste minimization activity must have occurred during the report year. If minimization was not attempted (to the point of implementing a change) for this waste, you must enter the waste minimization code as "X".

• Was any of this waste managed on-site? – Click on “N” or “Y” from the pull-down menu to indicate whether the waste was treated, disposed or recycled on-site, or discharged to a sewer/POTW. If you checked “N,” continue onto Section II. If you checked “Y,” answer the on-site process system questions.
• On-site Management Method Code– From the pull-down menu enter the Management Method Code for how this waste was managed. Space is provided to report the on-site treatment, disposal, recycling and/or discharge to sewer/POTW of the waste using as many as two different methods. The space provided for the second on-site management method code should be used only in the special case of the on-site management of the same waste type by more than one method. The extra space should not be used to report the on-site management of the treatment residual generated from management of the waste by the first method.

Section II (Off-site Shipment of Hazardous Waste)

This section requests information on the off-site shipment of hazardous waste by this site, including the EPA Identification Number (ID) of the receiving facility, the management method for how the waste was managed at that facility and the total quantity of the waste shipped during the report year. Report the quantity in the same unit of measure as Section I.

• Receiving Facility’s EPA ID Number – Enter the 12-digit EPA ID of the facility that received the waste which you shipped.
• Off-site Management Method Code – Use the pull-down menu to select the Management Method Code that best describes the way in which the waste was managed by the initial receiving facility.
• Total Quantity Shipped – Enter the total quantity of the waste shipped to the facility . The quantity must be reported in the unit of measure entered in Section I. Shipment quantities should equal the total quantity recorded on the hazardous waste manifests for this site, unless there were rejections or other complications.

Comment Section

Use the Comment section to explain other items of information you supplied in the GM Form. You may leave this area blank, unless you reported one of the following waste minimization codes for the waste:

• N - Waste minimization efforts were unsuccessful in reducing quantity and/or toxicity (give details in Comments section).
• Y - Waste minimization was implemented and was successful in reducing quantity and/or toxicity (give details in Comments section).

For these situations, you must provide additional details about the waste minimization efforts in the Comments section.

Contact Information

For questions and assistance in completing the hazardous waste annual report GM Form, contact your local Environmental Program Associate.

For general questions and comments about the hazardous waste annual reports, please contact:

DNR Waste Materials@Wisconsin.gov