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RCRA is
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which was enacted by Congress
in 1976. RCRA's primary goals are to protect human
health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal,
to conserve energy and natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated,
and to ensure that wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner.
RCRA regulates the management of solid waste (e.g., municipal waste) and
hazardous
waste as well as other sources of pollution. There are separate sections
of RCRA that deal with hazardous (Subtitle C) and non-hazardous wastes (Subtitle
D).
- RCRA Subtitle D The RCRA Subtitle D regulations
establish standards and guidelines for solid waste collection and disposal
programs, and recycling programs. The regulations also establish criteria
for design, operation, maintenance and closure for municipal solid waste
landfills. Finally, the regulations establish requirements for thermal
processing (incineration) and resource recovery facilities. RCRA Subtitle
D focuses on state and local governments as the primary planning, regulating,
and implementing entities for the management of non-hazardous solid waste,
such as household garbage and non-hazardous industrial solid waste. EPA
provides these state and local agencies with information, guidance, policy
and regulations through workshops and publications to help states and the
regulated community make better decisions in dealing with waste issues,
to reap the environmental and economic benefits of source reduction and
recycling of solid wastes, and to require upgrading or closure of all environmentally
unsound disposal units. In order to promote the use of safer units for
solid waste disposal, EPA developed federal criteria for the proper design
and operation of municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) and other solid
waste disposal facilities. Many states have adopted these criteria into
their solid waste programs.
- RCRA Subtitle C. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle
C establishes a federal program to manage hazardous wastes from
cradle to grave. The objective of the Subtitle C program is to ensure
that hazardous waste is handled in a manner that protects human health
and the environment. To this end, there are Subtitle C regulations for
the generation; transportation; and treatment, storage or disposal of
hazardous wastes.
Although RCRA is a Federal statute, many States implement the RCRA program.
Currently, EPA has delegated its authority to implement various provisions
of RCRA to 47 of the 50 States (delegation has not been given to Alaska,
Hawaii, or Iowa).
The following are applicable federal regulations developed pursuant to RCRA:
Identification
of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (40 CFR
Part 261) lays out the procedure every generator must
follow to determine whether the material in question is considered a
hazardous waste, solid waste, or is exempted from regulation.
Standards
for Generators of Hazardous Waste (40 CFR Part 262) establishes
the responsibilities of hazardous waste generators including obtaining
an EPA ID number, preparing a manifest, ensuring proper packaging and
labeling, meeting standards for waste accumulation units, and recordkeeping
and reporting requirements. Providing they meet additional requirements
described in 40 CFR 262.34, generators may accumulate hazardous waste
for up to 90 days (or 180 or 270 days depending on the amount of waste
generated and the distance the waste will be transported. Because waste
generated in another county, such as Canada, cannot be tracked until
it enters the U.S., the generator of imported waste is considered by
U.S. EPA to be the "importer." This is an important distinction
because the importer must therefore meet all the rules applicable to
waste generators. Also, see: Imports
of Hazardous Waste, 40 CFR 262.60.
Standards
for Transporters of Hazardous Waste (40
CFR Part 263) establishes the responsibilities of hazardous
waste transporters including obtaining an EPA ID number, completing portions
of the hazardous waste manifest, proper placarding, and spill clean-up
and reporting.
Land Disposal
Restrictions (LDRs) (40 CFR Part 268) are
regulations prohibiting the disposal of hazardous waste on land without
prior treatment. Under the LDRs program, materials must meet LDR treatment
standards prior to placement in a RCRA land disposal unit (landfill,
land treatment unit, waste pile, or surface impoundment). Generators
of waste subject to the LDRs must provide notification of such to the
designated Treatment/Storage/Disposal (TSD) facility to ensure proper
treatment prior to disposal.
EPA
Hazardous Waste Information. This resource provides useful information that
can help you determine
if a waste is hazardous and it provides a good overview of regulations for
generators, transporters, and treatment, storage, disposal facilities. It
also has links to many more useful resources.
EPA
Municipal Solid Waste Information. This resource provides useful
information regarding the
regulation of municipal solid waste (MSW). It also covers numerous topics
such as MSW management, pollution prevention, recycling, used oil disposal,
etc. Also, there are links to numerous EPA publications.
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