Vehicle Service and Repair Program

More than 31,000 vehicle service and repair shops exist in California. Individually, these businesses do not generate a lot of hazardous waste, but collectively they represent a significant source of pollution. If you operate an auto repair shop or fleet maintenance facility, there are opportunities to save money, conserve resources, reduce emissions, possibly reduce permitting fees, and help meet compliance with environmental rules by making simple changes in your shop practices.

You can do this by implementing the pollution prevention methods identified in these pages. Here you will find fact sheets about typical hazardous wastes you may generate and training modules on how to use P2 alternatives to reduce waste and pollution, a directory of P2 products and services, a list of local assistance contacts, and information about special programs.

The goal of DTSC's Vehicle Service and Repair (VSR) Industry Pollution Prevention Program is to reduce environmental and health impacts of vehicle repair and maintenance operations in California by:

• Introducing cost effective pollution prevention practices
• Working with the vehicle service and repair industry and government to implement pollution prevention options
• Increasing compliance with environmental laws and regulations

DTSC's VSR Program:

• Provides training and technical assistance to identify the economic and environmental benefits of pollution prevention methods, products and services to the private sector, local government agencies, and vehicle repair and fleet maintenance operations.
• Maintains an electronic directory of vehicle service and repair pollution prevention products and services.
• Sponsors incentive programs for vehicle service and repair maintenance facilities that implement pollution prevention strategies such as the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program.

Examples of cost savings advantages for auto repair facilities within each training module.

• Aqueous Brake Washing - About 20% to 80% annual cost savings for all test shops when compared to aerosol brake cleaners.
• Aqueous Parts Cleaning - Larry’s Autoworks, an automotive repair shop, saved approximately $14,874 annually.
• Oil Life Extension - Eielson AFB reduced oil purchases, resulting in a payback period of four months.
• Oil Water Separators - Salem Boys saved approximately $3,000 a year.
• Reusable Oil Filters - Barton Sand and Gravel saved approximately $4100 a year.
• Spill Prevention & Floor Cleanup - "Cleaning up spills when they occur saves us time and money and keeps the shop looking clean, which my customers and workers both appreciate." - Larry Moore, Larry's Autoworks
• Waste Antifreeze Recycling - United States Postal Service (USPS), Huntington Beach, experienced a seven month payback period.
• Refillable Spray Bottles - Salem Boys Auto annually saves $2035 switching from aerosol cans to refillable spray bottles.

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• Instituting P2 dry floor clean-up practices can eliminate or reduce a hazardous waste stream, and possibly result in a reduced compliance burden.
  
  The traditional clean-up method is to use absorbent to clean up oil spills, creating a waste stream of absorbent, oil, and antifreeze that is stored in a container. If this waste stream goes into the non-hazardous waste dumpster, a shop operator is violating the law for illegal disposal of hazardous waste. The more containers you store on site, the greater the chance of spilling from containers or making mistakes in labeling the containers. Storing hazardous waste in improperly labeled containers, such as labels that lack an accumulation start date and/or waste description, will cause your shop to be out of compliance. Changing floor clean-up methods from absorbent to the oil-only mop and dry floor clean-up reduces or eliminates the contaminated absorbent waste stream and the potential for violations and fines.
  
  
• Use spill prevention practices and maintain a dry shop. The result is compliance with water quality regulations and zero discharge of pollutants to surface waters.
  
  Contaminated water entering storm drains flows directly to streams, bays and oceans and can harm wildlife and people. A shop that discharges pollutants to storm drains violates water quality regulations in most localities resulting in fines and penalties from your local environmental agency. Sources of surface water pollutants from your shop may include floor wash water, and storm water run-off over hazardous materials spills in outdoor storage areas or parking lots. You can prevent pollutants in your shop from entering surface waters and stay in compliance with water quality regulations by: covering hazardous waste storage areas; providing secondary containment for hazardous waste containers; using drip pans under vehicles; sealing drains that lead to storm sewers; and using a dry floor clean-up method.