One would assume that car dealerships sell cars, so why would they need to worry about environmental laws?

Car dealerships have more potential areas of concern than might appear at first glance.

Many car dealerships have service and repair shops that are likely to generate used oil and other vehicle-related chemicals as well as underground or above-ground oil storage tanks, all of which are highly regulated under environmental laws. Other items where environmental regulations apply are the storage of automotive parts and waste (such as shop towels) that have been in contact with hazardous materials.

Federal law regulates a wide variety of these environmental laws, but there are additional items that can differ by state, county, and city. California for example – Los Angeles county requires facilities – including dealerships – to register for permits and prevent runoff of oils or other hazardous materials into storm drains or septic systems. The city of San Diego has begun adopting and imposing similar laws, but the two are not identical even though they are in the same state.

Additionally, government regulators are sticklers for paperwork, so make it your best practice to ensure your EPA-related shop governance programs include all required training, documentation manuals, safety sheets, and maintenance inspections reports.

Educating all your employees on this matter is a must.

One of the best ways to ease the stress of following environmental laws surrounding your dealerships is to have a firm grasp on your service and parts inventory, as well as who is handling your company’s storage and disposal of your environmental waste. You will want to use software such as Deal Pack Service & Parts that allows you to track inventory, appointments, purchase orders, repair orders, and more!