Docuwaste for Hazardous Waste and other CHEMTOX systems

Prepared by:
CHEMTOX-division of Resource Consultants, Inc.

Prepared for:
Public purchase

Application:
Financial analysis:
Environmental impact analysis: ---
Waste management/P2:
Environmental cost listing/database: ---
Cost estimation: ---
Alternative product/process comparison: ---

Tracking and reporting of hazardous waste. The system has some predefined fields where waste disposal cost information can be entered. The total costs are broken down to an extent. As yet, the system has no components for project management. There is no feature for maintaining historical cost records.

Elements of control:
Cost control ---
Resource control ---
Estimating control ---
Schedule control ---
Scope control ---
Risk control ---

Development date and updates:
CHEMTOX database was developed ~ 1984 and updated quarterly since. All other modules are updated periodically as well.

Public availability:
Available

Purpose and current use:
CHEMTOX has installations in over 600 corporations, both in the U.S and abroad. Docuwaste is designed for generators, transporters, and disposal facilities.

Cost information:
Single-user license
CHEMTOX database: $2,000
MSDS Management module: $3,000
Chemical Inventory, Process and SARA 312 Reporting: $6,000
SARA 313 Reporting: $4,100
Docuwaste for Hazardous Waste: $8,45

The purchase price for multiuser network license is $1,000 per additional user per application. There are discounts offered for multiple unit purchases. These are January 1995 prices, which are subject to change without notice. All prices are for Windows versions.

System requirements:
The system can support local PC environments as well as true client/server installations in large corporations. As a stand-alone system, the minimum system requirements for CHEMTOX database are:

The minimum system requirements for a stand-alone version of MSDS Access are:

As a stand-alone system, the minimum system requirements for Docuwaste are:


Software summary

Size and complexity of projects:
Not applicable; the system is not designed for project management. It is meant to manage and control areas of regular company activities. Since the system is modular in format, users can size the system to suit their requirements.

Other compatible systems offered:
System is offered in modular format.

Nonquantifiable information:
Not applicable; the system is not designed for project management. In the SARA 313 reporting module, electronic notes can be attached to each release result.

The CHEMTOX system is windows based with a graphical user interface and supports Microsoft's ODBC architecture. The different modules can assist in tracking regulated and hazardous waste, maintaining chemical inventories, reporting compliance issues, and maintaining Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)and employee health and safety records.

The CHEMTOX regulated chemicals database is an electronic library containing information on over 10,000 chemicals and hazardous substances. Each substance record has 240 data fields that users can search individually or manipulate for custom reporting. Data include physical properties, reactivity data, exposure limits, transportation requirements, etc. Users may also add their own unique lists of chemicals for custom searches. Chemical names can be searched in a variety of ways such as searching by chemical name, CAS#, DOT ID, RCRA ID, etc. The database can be linked with other modules in the CHEMTOX system, such as SARA reporting, or Docuwaste. The database is also available on CD-ROM or as data elements on electronic tape. The information in the database has a variety of uses, but the system itself does not assist in making decisions for material choices (e.g., choosing between different chemicals to be used in a project). The database does not contain any cost information.

Docuwaste is designed for cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous waste. Inventories can be tracked by waste description, storage locations, inspections, movement histories, disposal, and costs. Profile information is managed for generators, transporters, and disposal facilities. The detailed waste descriptions include the source of the waste. It has built-in files on treatment codes, hazard classes, container types, etc. Waste profiles can be retrieved from the CHEMTOX database. It facilitates the generation of EPA and state-specific manifests and container labels (EPA, California, or New Jersey). State-specific modules are offered to meet users' specific needs. Year-end totals are provided for completing SARA 313 TRI or Form R reports. It computes year end totals for hazardous waste generator reports.

Other CHEMTOX products include MSDS management, SARA reporting, and chemical inventory. All these modules can be bought as an integrated system called MSDS Access. The MSDS management module facilitates collecting, organizing and managing, reporting, and archiving MSDS information. The chemical inventory module calculates threshold amounts, used in compliance reporting, from information retrieved from the MSDS management module. It automates SARA hazard categorization. It allows users to track chemicals on several levels based on their requirements (building, location, process) and also combines like ingredients across a facility. The electronic notes tied to release results in the SARA 313 reporting module can be stored for future reference, allowing users to record information on pollution prevention or waste minimization. The worker right-to-know module can be used in a read-only format (and printing) to access MSDS information from the MSDS management module. Other modules are the CHEMTOX employee module for industrial hygiene, training, and safety; the CHEMTOX DOT system for compliance with DOT's HM-181; and the CHEMTOX label system.

Life-cycle stages covered

Raw material acquisition ---
Manufacturing stage ---
Use/reuse/maintenance
Recycle/waste management

Life-cycle stages covered may vary by module. Docuwaste is a cradle-to-grave waste tracking system, which means it covers the waste management stage of the life cycle. It covers the manufacturing process to the extent that it could track the process responsible for waste generation. It primarily tracks the waste once it has already been generated. The chemical inventory module can also allow chemical tracking in different life-cycle stages, primarily chemical use and reuse in a facility. When the modules are used together, use of particular chemicals could be linked to the generation of different forms of waste. However, Docuwaste only details the chemical composition of the waste and the source. It has no feature for proactively reducing the amount of waste being generated or reducing costs associated with environmental and waste management. These life-cycle stages are not necessarily covered in the case of each individual chemical, material, or product. For example, if a raw material is used up in a manufactured product and does not end up as waste in the facility, the waste management stage will not be covered. Also, the products manufactured in the manufacturing stage are not covered (if at all) in all their life-cycle stages either. The life-cycle stages are not kept distinct within the system.

Type of costs considered

Conventional ---
Potentially hidden
Contingent ---
External ---

Docuwaste considers only hidden costs. It can calculate which waste is produced in the greatest amount with the greatest processing cost. Cost information can be entered for waste descriptions and/or containers in Docuwaste. The fields include disposal cost, freight cost, laboratory analysis, recycling, tax, and other costs. Thus, external and contingent costs cannot be estimated or included. The actual costs (capital, labor and material costs, etc.) associated with environmental management and tracking are not recorded. No additional fields may be added.

Thus, the full costs of using a material or product in a facility, including all these cost categories, cannot be estimated. Also, all conventional and hidden costs are not tracked and entered into the system. The costs entered cannot be collated to form a historical cost library. This could be a useful feature for assisting in cost estimation for projects, because hidden cost estimates cannot be found in most (if any) commercial cost databases.

Method of cost estimation

The system is not designed for cost estimation.

Generation of financial indicators

Net present value (NPV) ---
Payback period ---
Internal rate of return (IRR) ---
Benefits cost ratio ---
Other ---

Ability to include environmental costs

User friendliness and flexibility

The system is available in modules that users can add to based on their requirements. It has pull-down menus, pop-up windows, an optional mouse, and help screens. All modules have some features to make the system more user friendly. These include a variety of search options in the CHEMTOX database, the automatic transfer of data from the MSDS management module for SARA reporting, and flags for land ban chemicals in Docuwaste. The chemical tracking module allows tracking on several levels according to user requirements. A relational report writer can be added to the system to produce custom reports.

User support

CHEMTOX also offers a variety of professional services such as chemical inventory survey, MSDS evaluation, data entry, and regular updating of system databases to keep abreast of changing regulations and new scientific knowledge. All product purchases include toll-free support and updates in the first year. After the first year, the maintenance contract can be renewed for a fee. An enhanced customer support service is also available. Training sessions are available both on-site and off-site at Nashville (TN).

Limitations

The screens and formats in the CHEMTOX modules cannot be changed by users. The system considers only a limited variety of costs with no options for additional fields to be added by users. The costs included in the forms are for waste types and containers. Other conventional, contingency, or less-tangible costs cannot be estimated or detailed. The software has no feature for maintaining historical cost records, as related to different activities, quantities, and types of materials managed. The system cannot integrate with company accounting systems. This can result in these costs being managed separately, rather than being integrated with other company costs. The system is not designed for, and has no modules for, project management. Like most other waste management and tracking tools, the primary objective is to facilitate compliance, not to manage and minimize costs. However, if this area were developed, pollution prevention and other environmental initiatives would be encouraged as a result of better cost information.

Basis for evaluation:
Based on telephone communication with CHEMTOX representative and information package received in February 1995. Additional information obtained from Rich (1995).

Contact information:
Commercially available

CHEMTOX
7121 Cross Roads Boulevard
PO. Box 1848
Brentwood, TN 37024-1848

Jeanie Mackey (Business Development Support Services)

800-338-2815
615-373-5040
615-370-4339 (FAX)


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