The Evolution Of Rcra Hw Law In Ccr

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is a federal law in the United States that establishes a framework for the proper management and disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Enacted in 1976, it addresses the growing volume of municipal and industrial waste and its potential hazards to human health and the environment. The RCRA program is jointly administered by the federal government and individual states, with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) providing basic requirements that states must adopt and enforce. The RCRA regulations are codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and states are encouraged to take the lead in implementing non-hazardous waste programs. The term RCRA is often used interchangeably to refer to the law, regulations, and EPA policy and guidance. The California Code of Regulations (CCR) is the official compilation of regulations adopted by state agencies, which carry the force of law.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

The RCRA was enacted to address the growing volume of municipal and industrial waste in the nation and its associated problems. It sets national goals for protecting human health and the environment from the hazards of waste disposal, promoting energy conservation and natural resource management, reducing waste generation through source reduction and recycling, maintaining environmental health standards, and ensuring environmentally sound waste management. The act is an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965.

The RCRA program is a joint federal and state endeavour, with the EPA providing basic requirements that states then adopt, adapt, and enforce. While the EPA develops regulations, guidance, and policies, states play a crucial role in implementing non-hazardous waste programs under Subtitle D of the RCRA. The RCRA regulations are contained in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), specifically in parts 239 through 282.

The RCRA has been amended several times by Congress, requiring the President's signature to become law. These amendments have strengthened the law and expanded its scope, such as covering small-quantity generators of hazardous waste and establishing requirements for hazardous waste incinerators and the closure of substandard landfills. The RCRA also plays an integral role in the management of underground storage tanks.

EPA's authority to control hazardous waste

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the primary federal law in the United States that governs the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. Enacted in 1976, it outlines the waste management program mandated by Congress that gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to develop the RCRA program.

The RCRA gives the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from its "cradle to grave". This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. The EPA develops regulations, guidance, and policies to ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste. The RCRA also establishes programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse.

The EPA regulates hazardous waste under RCRA to ensure that these wastes are managed in ways that protect human health and the environment. Generators of hazardous waste are regulated based on the amount of waste generated in a calendar month, not the size of their businesses or facilities. The RCRA requires stringent record-keeping and reporting from generators, transporters, and operators of treatment, storage, and disposal facilities handling hazardous waste.

The RCRA Corrective Action Program requires facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous wastes to investigate and clean up contaminated soil, groundwater, and surface water. The RCRA hazardous waste permitting program ensures the safe management of hazardous waste by establishing requirements for its treatment, storage, and disposal. Permits are issued by authorized states or EPA regional offices.

The RCRA also includes national regulations for coal combustion residuals (CCR), commonly known as coal ash. CCR is one of the largest types of industrial waste generated in the United States, and the EPA has established regulations for its safe disposal in landfills and surface impoundments.

California Code of Regulations (CCR)

The California Code of Regulations (CCR) is the official compilation and publication of the regulations adopted, amended, or repealed by state agencies in California. The CCR is compiled into Titles and organised into Divisions, containing the regulations of state agencies. Properly adopted regulations that have been filed with the Secretary of State have the force of law.

The CCR is available from a variety of sources, including online, in print at most County Clerks and County Law Libraries, and at state depository libraries. The online CCR contains the full text of the code, and is updated weekly to reflect newly adopted, amended, or repealed regulations.

In California, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is the primary authority enforcing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements, as well as the California Hazardous Waste Control Law (HWCL) of 1972.

The RCRA, enacted in 1976, is the primary federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. The act sets national goals for protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, as well as for energy conservation, natural resource conservation, waste reduction, and maintaining environmental health standards. The RCRA program is a joint federal and state endeavour, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) providing basic requirements that states then adopt, adapt, and enforce.

The EPA has published waste management regulations, codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations at parts 239 through 282. Regulations regarding hazardous waste begin in part 260. States are authorised to operate their own hazardous waste programs, which must meet or exceed federal standards.

Hazardous waste identification

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976, is the primary federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. The RCRA is a public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. The law describes the waste management program mandated by Congress that gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to develop the RCRA program.

A solid waste is considered hazardous waste if it is specifically listed as a known hazardous waste or meets the characteristics of hazardous waste. Listed wastes are wastes from common manufacturing and industrial processes, specific industries, and can be generated from discarded commercial products. Characteristic wastes are wastes that exhibit any one or more of the following properties: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.

The F-list identifies wastes from common manufacturing and industrial processes as hazardous. The F-list wastes are known as wastes from non-specific sources as the processes generating these wastes can occur in different sectors of industry. The F-list includes seven groups:

• Spent solvent wastes
• Electroplating and other metal finishing wastes
• Dioxin-bearing wastes
• Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons production
• Wood-preserving wastes
• Petroleum refinery wastewater treatment sludges
• Multisource leachate

The K-list identifies hazardous wastes from specific sectors of industry and manufacturing and are considered source-specific wastes. To qualify as a K-listed hazardous waste, a waste must fit into one of the 13 categories and match one of the detailed K-list waste descriptions. The 13 industries that generate K-list wastes include:

• Organic chemicals manufacturing
• Pesticides manufacturing
• Veterinary pharmaceuticals manufacturing
• Inorganic pigment manufacturing
• Inorganic chemicals manufacturing
• Explosives manufacturing
• Iron and steel production
• Primary aluminum production
• Secondary lead processing
• Ink formulation
• Coking (processing of coal to produce coke)

The P and U lists designate as hazardous waste pure and commercial-grade formulations of certain unused chemicals that are being disposed of. For a waste to be considered a P- or U-listed waste, it must meet the following three criteria:

• The waste must contain one of the chemicals listed on the P or U list.
• The chemical in the waste must be unused.
• The chemical in the waste must be in the form of a commercial chemical product.

EPA's hazardous waste website

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a website dedicated to hazardous waste. The website provides information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which is the primary federal law in the US governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. The EPA website offers a range of resources, including:

• RCRA Orientation Manual
• Access to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
• Sustainable Materials Management
• Resources for State Officials
• State Authorization Under RCRA
• Policies and Guidance Documents for RCRA State Authorization
• Documents, Data and Manuals for State Authorization
• Rule Checklists, Summaries, and Federal Register Notices for State Authorization
• Frequent questions about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and waste
• Interim Guidance on Site Field Work Decisions due to COVID-19 impacts

The EPA website also provides links to hazardous waste programs and US state environmental agencies. It offers a map and an alphabetically linked list of states and US territories' websites, with links to pages related to solid and hazardous waste where possible.

The EPA's hazardous waste website also includes information on:

• Hazardous Waste Site Identification in EPA's Region 2, which serves New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and eight Tribal nations
• RCRA Site Identification numbers and how to obtain them
• RCRA's history, with an interactive timeline
• RCRA's 40th Anniversary Page
• Proposed and final rules regarding categorical non-waste fuels and treated railroad ties
• Identification of non-hazardous secondary materials that are solid waste

Frequently asked questions