Across the nation, there are approximately 65,000 independent
auto body shops and about 25,000 new car dealers,
some of which also have body repair shops (Standard
Shop size and activities varied considerably ranging from
one person operations in home "garages" to shops with 20 or
more employees that offered body and paint work for trucks
as well as cars. Several small trade associations, representing
about 25 per cent of the industry in Massachusetts, were asked
to participate in the project. None were particularly concerned
with hazardous waste management prior to the project. Several
hazardous waste transporters that had identified the auto
body industry as a potential client population due to the fuel
and recovery value of the industry's solvent wastes indicated
that they would participate in project activities.