Environmental compliance officer discusses training

By Gabriella Pinos

From mishandling chemicals to disposing waste down storm drains, acts like these can lead to more harm than good in the University community. These kinds of actions are what Michael Rupinski from Environmental Health and Safety at the University wants to prevent for nature’s sake.

“This is a large university with a big impact on the environment, so I’m pretty excited to be in charge of environmental compliance here at FIU,” said Rupinski.

Since Jan. 2018, Rupinski has worked as an environmental compliance officer at EH&S, where he handles and disposes hazardous wastes and works with regulations created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

His involvement with environmental compliance began as a sense of morality to protect the environment.

“I have a passion for environmental regulation,” said Rupinski. “It sounds a little boring, but I’m a strong believer that we are stewards of our environment, and one of the best ways to influence that is to be directly involved in regulation and how certain policies are created and implemented.”

Rupinski is well-versed in the management of universal wastes, hazardous wastes that are commonly produced by people.

While these items do not have the same strict regulations placed on them as hazardous wastes, they can still pose a danger to the environment.

“So many people produce universal waste, which includes light bulbs, batteries, mercury-containing devices like thermostats, as well as pesticides,” said Rupinski. “They’re still disposed of properly, but they have less time restrictions and rules around them.”

Another of his jobs involves storm-water management, where he disposes of pollutants, toxins and hazardous waste carried through runoff. Carefully handling these substances rather than pouring them down a storm drain prevents any pollutants from entering the water supply. These practices also help protect lakes, streams and rivers from contamination.

“The big takeaway from our storm water program is awareness of students on campus,” said Rupinski. “If you see something going down a storm drain that you don’t think looks right, we want people to know it and report it so we can fix the issue.”

Some of the substances Rupinski cautions against pouring down a storm drain include dilute acid solutions commonly found in labs across FIU. He wants to bring this awareness to students through programs and educational resources.

“We are in the process of developing some training,” said Rupinski. “We somehow want to implement storm-water training into every student’s life here at FIU.”

Rupinski has thought about including this training within freshman orientation, where new students can learn about EPA regulations and storm-water management at FIU. He wants to work closely with the staff at EH&S to promote community awareness across campus by Fall 2018.

“Awareness is the best plan,” said Rupinski. “If you’re aware of some of the bigger issues that can cause negative impacts, you can not only help yourself, but you can talk to your friends about it and influence others.”

If you have any questions regarding environmental safety at FIU, you can contact FIU’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety at (305)348-2621. You can also contact Michael Rupinski for information on environmental compliance at (305)348-2622 or mrupinsk@fiu.edu.

Photo retrieved by Flickr.

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