In accordance with 49CFR 173.12, a "Lab Pack" refers to small quantities (less than 5 gallons of liquid and 40 pounds of solids) of laboratory wastes, which are securely packed in an outer container and have a detailed chemical inventory list attached.

Typically, these wastes are received from educational, institutional, research and industrial facilities. PCI's Lab Pack/DePack operation has been designed to eliminate potential human and environmental exposures and is consistent with PCI's commitment to recycling, reclamation and waste minimization.

PCI's technical field service teams, consisting of two chemists, mobilize out of various locations across the country.

These chemists receive on-going, extensive training in EPA and DOT regulations pertaining to the packing, transportation and disposal of hazardous waste materials. Upon arrival at a generator's site, PCI field chemists will complete a contingency plan outlining all the health and safety information for that specific job. A safety station will then be established for the job. This safety station will include spill control equipment, fire extinguishers and a first aid kit. Field chemists will then begin to segregate, inventory and package waste according to EPA and DOT regulations. Once drums are packaged, appropriate shipping labels will be affixed to each container. PCI chemists will then complete all required paperwork, including hazardous waste manifests and land disposal restriction forms. All regulatory paperwork will be reviewed with the generator and appropriate signatures will be obtained. The drums are then loaded onto PCI's technical field service’s trucks, which are permitted waste hauling vehicles, for transportation to a PCI facility for processing.

Once the inventory has been verified, the labpacks are transported to one of out three facilities for "depacking"

PCI technicians and chemists bulk up Lab Pack materials in one of four booths, each designed to handle a specific type of waste.

These booths are designed to provide for the safety of our employees, while containing any vapors released by the various waste streams during the bulking up process, once again protecting the work environment. The entire process is constantly monitored using a computerized bar code tracking system. This system allows for quality control throughout analysis, storage, treatment and final disposition of the Lab Pack, thus assuring "cradle-to-grave" liability. Each booth in the PCI Lab Pack Facility is specifically designed with safety in mind. Features include positive pressure live air lines for personnel, as well as fire suppression and vapor neutralization /containment systems.