RCRA Hazardous Waste Free Resources and Information Center About HazWaste

RCRA Hazardous Waste Free Resources and Information Center About HazWaste

Hazardous Waste Information Center

These pages provide information, guidance and copies of the regulations regarding hazardous waste management, including generation, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal.

Hazardous wastes are regulated under RCRA, the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act. The regulations have been codified at 40 CFR Part 260-280

News: The HWIR (Hazardous Waste Identification Rule) was just published in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 30, 1998. Click here fore more.

You can download the regulations below, or for guidance online, click on the topic button below that interests you:

• How to Determine if you have a regulated hazardous waste - Identifying hazardous waste - revised April 2006, a guide to hazardous waste identification. This page tells you how to determine if you have a regulated hazardous waste. Here are some other items:
  • More waste identification issues - specialized topics
  • Regulations
  • Circuit boards

• Generators - Are you a hazardous waste generator? Click here to find out and what you must do if you are. Here is a good EPA guide: Training Module: Introduction for Generators
• Landban - Hazardous wastes are subject to a myriad of rules regarding their legal disposal. Most of these are found in 40 CFR Part 268, the "land disposal restrictions" or "land ban". Click on the title to view them. And if you would like to purchase the current copy of the "Slemmer Guide to Hazardous Wastes", call or email us.
• TSDF (treatment,storage, disposal facilities) - Looking for a company to manage your hazardous wastes for treatment and disposal? Here's a list of EPA-permitted facilities. If you need more help, just email us - we are NOT a haz waste broker or facility, but we will help put you in touch with them!
• Download the federal regs - Here they are; all the federal hazardous waste regulations, free to download.
• State Regs - Links to state regulation sites, and some direct downloads here, too.
• Training Requirements direct from OSHA regarding hazardous waste operations. EHSO (Benivia, LLC) offers this training (called HazWoper or 40hr training) Click here to view more information about the training services and obtain the regulations.
• The HWIR - Hazardous Waste Identification - Rule Click here for more information!

Other links:

• EHSO's Online guide to state agencies with links! Agency & department names, phone numbers and addresses) names, phone numbers and addresses)
• Definition of a hazardous waste generator & applicable regulations.
• Facts & Figures for Nonhazardous and Hazardous Waste Generators and Transporters

Download the most recently published 40CFR Hazardous Waste Regulations here!

You can view and print the federal hazardous waste regulations here:

• Part 239 - Requirements for State Permit Program Determination of Adequacy
• Part 240 - Guidelines for the Thermal Processing of Solid Wastes
• Part 243 - Guidelines for the Storage and Collection of Residential, Commercial, and Institutional Solid Waste
• Part 246 - Source Separation for Materials Recovery Guidelines
• Part 247 - Comprehensive Procurement Guideline for Products Containing Recovered Materials
• Part 254 - Prior Notice of Citizen Suits
• Part 255 - Identification of Regions and Agencies for Solid Waste Management
• Part 256 - Guidelines for Development and Implementation of State Solid Waste Management Plans
• Part 257 - Criteria for Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities and Practices
• Part 258 - Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
• Part 260 - Hazardous Waste Management System: General
• Part 261 - Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste
• Part 262 - Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste
• Part 263 - Standards Applicable to Transporters of Hazardous Waste
• Part 264 - Standards for Owners and Operators of Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities
• Part 265 - Interim Status Standards for Owners and Operators of Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities
• Part 266 - Standards for the Management of Specific Hazardous Wastes and Specific Types of Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
• Part 268 - Land Disposal Restrictions
• Part 270 - EPA Administered Permit Programs: The Hazardous Waste Permit Program
• Part 271 - Requirements for Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Programs
• Part 272 - Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs
• Part 273 - Standards for Universal Waste Management
• Part 279 - Standards for the Management of Used Oil
• Part 280 - Technical Standards and Corrective Action Requirements for Owners and Operators of Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
• Part 281 - Approval of State Underground Storage Tank Programs
• Part 282 - Approved Underground Storage Tank Programs

State Hazardous Waste Regulations

Click here to locate your state's regs to download ,

As an example, here are Georgia's regulations; which are largely an unaltered adoption of the federal regs.

• Georgia Hazardous Waste regulations - Downloads as a PDF file - see below for info about PDF files.
• Georgia Solid Waste regulations - 391-3-11 Hazardous Waste Management [Revised Feb 2002] Refers to almost all wastes (solid, liquid or gaseous). Hazardous wastes are a subset of "solid wastes". Again, a PDF file

* Some of the documents provided by here and by the US EPA are in an Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) file. They can be viewed, and printed, with the use of an Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Adobe Acrobat's Reader is available, free, for Unix, Macintosh, IBM DOS and IBM Windows operating systems. Click this button to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.

Facts & Figures for Nonhazardous and Hazardous Waste Generators and Transporters
(from the Municipal Solid Waste Characterization Report, 1996 Edition , and the 1995 RCRA Biennial Report )

• In 1996 a total of 209.7 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW, commonly known as "trash" or "waste", of which hazardous waste is a special subset) was generated. This reflects a decrease of nearly 2 million tons from 1995, when MSW generation was 211.5 million tons. Of the MSW generated, 57.3 million tons (27.3 percent) were recovered by recycling or composting, 36.1 million tons (17.2 percent) were combusted at high temperatures, and 116.3 million tons (55.5 percent) were landfilled.
• The per capita generation rate in 1996 was 4.3 pounds per person per day, compared to 4.4 pounds per person per day in 1995.
• The per capita discard rate (after recovery for recycling, including composting) was 3.2 pounds per person per day in 1996, down from 3.3 pounds per person per day in 1995.
• Recycling (including composting) recovered 27 percent (57 million tons) of MSW in 1996, up from 26 percent (55 million tons) in 1995.
• There were nearly 9,000 curbside recycling programs in the United States in 1996, as well as more than 10,000 drop-off centers for recyclables. About 360 materials recovery facilities helped process the recyclables collected. More than 3,000 yard trimmings composting programs were reported.
• Recovery of paper and paperboard reached 41 percent (33 million tons) in 1996, accounting for more than half of the total MSW recovered. In addition, nearly 11 million tons of yard trimmings were recovered for composting in 1996, accounting for the second largest fraction of total recovery. The percentage of yard trimmings composted (38 percent) has more than doubled since 1992.
• Landfills managed 55 percent of MSW generated (116 million tons), down from 57 percent in 1995. Combustion facilities managed 17 percent (36 million tons) of total MSW generated, about the same as in 1995.
• In 1995, 20,873 LQGs produced 214 million tons of hazardous waste regulated by RCRA. This is a decrease of 3,489 LQGs and a decrease of 44 million tons of waste compared to 1993. The five (5) States whose LQGs generated the largest amount of hazardous waste were Texas (69 million tons), Tennessee (39 million tons), Louisiana (17 million tons), Michigan (13 million tons), and lllinois (13 million tons). Together, the LQGs in these States accounted for 70% of the national total waste generated.
• In 1995, wastewater generation accounted for 95% of the national generation total, while in 1993, wastewater generation accounted for 92% percent of the national generation total.
• Overall, total hazardous waste generation decreased from 258 million tons in 1993 to 214 million tons in 1995. Wastewater generation decreased from 237 million tons in 1993 to 202 million tons in 1995, and non-wastewater generation decreased from 22 million tons in 1993 to over 11 million tons in 1995.

Specific Waste Identification Topics

• 180-Day Accumulation Time for Waste Water Treatment Sludges From the Metal Finishing Industry - Proposed Rule - February 1999.
• Air Characteristic Risk Study - November, 1999
• Antifreeze - Request for Comment on Proposed Statement of Policy - April 23, 1998
• Chlorinated Aliphatics Production Wastes Proposed Rule - August 25, 1999.
• Chlorinated Aliphatics Production Wastes Final Rule - November 8, 2000.
• Definition of Solid Waste; TC, Response to Court Order Vacating Regulatory Provisions - Final Rule - March 13, 2002
• Dye and Pigment Industries Proposed Rule - July 23, 1999.
• EPA Form 8700-12 - Notification of Regulated Waste Activity - October 1996
• Exclusion from the Definition of Solid Waste; World Resources Company - August 13, 2002
• Gasification Rule Proposed Rule - March 25, 2002
• Hazardous Waste Characterization Scoping Study - November 1996.
• HWIR: Media - Proposed Rule - April 29, 1996; Final Rule - November 1998.
• HWIR: Waste - Proposed Rule - November 1999; Final Rule - May 2001
• Hazardous Waste Identification Studies - Solvents and Selected Petroleum Refining Residuals - August 1996.
• Hazardous Waste Lamps - Final Rule - July 6, 1999.
• Identifying Your Waste: The Starting Point - September 1997

  Adobe Acrobat PDF File || ASCII Text File || About...

• ICR: Identification and Listing of Rulemaking Petitions - January 23, 1998.
• Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing Wastes - Proposed Rule - September 14, 2000; Final Rule - November 20, 2001.
• Listing of Petroleum Refining Process Wastes NODA Materials - April 1997.
• Managing Hazardous Waste in Your Community - April 28, 2000
• Memorandum: Management of Remediation Waste under RCRA

  Adobe Acrobat PDF File [46 K]

• Mercury Emissions from the Disposal of Fluorescent Lamps - Final Rule, July 6, 1999; NODA, July 11, 1997.
• Off-Site Rule - September 22, 1993.
• Organobromine Production Wastes - Final Rule and Support Materials - May, 1998.
• Paint Manufacturing Listing Determination - Proposed Rule - February 13, 2001; Final Rule - April 4, 2002
• Petroleum Refining Process Wastes Listing - Final Rule - August 6, 1998.
• Proposed Exclusion from the Definition of Solid Waste; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste (World Resources Company) - December 9, 1999
• Revised Risk Assessment for the Air Characteristic Study - November 1999
• RCRA Hazardous Waste Delisting: The First 20 Years
• RCRA Hotline Training Modules - "Introduction to Hazardous Waste Identification"

  Adobe Acrobat PDF File || ASCII Text File

• RCRA Permit Policy Compendium
• Solvents - Proposed Rule - August 1996; Final Rule - November 19, 1998.
• Spent Catalysts from Dual-Purpose Petroleum Hydroprocessing Reactors , May 8, 2002 and July 5, 2001
• Temporary Suspension of TC Rule for Lead-Based Paint Debris, Office of Pollution, Prevention and Toxics - Proposed Rule
• Universal Waste Rule - May 1995.

Very useful resources and guides:

The Complete Guide to the Hazardous Waste Regulations: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide to the Regulation of Hazardous Waste Under RCRA, TSCA, HMTA, OSHA and Superfund