Summary of Week 7

Paper Guidelines

• Cover Page
• Abstract / Executive Summary (1/2 to 1p)
• Introduction / Background (1-2pp)
• Narrative organized by sections (5-8pp)
• Conclusions / Summary (1-2pp)
• References / Literature Cited (WWW citations acceptable with complete working URLs)

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

---

• Reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous waste
• Avoid land disposal
• Minimize threats to health and environment

• Prohibition on Dumping of Solid Hazardous Wastes
• "Cradle to Grave" Control of Hazardous Wastes (Subtitle C - only 7pp a "sleeper")

• Strengthened Subtitle C
• Bans on land disposal of hazardous waste
• Filled gaps & loopholes
• Introduced "the hammer" ie A will happen unless you do B
• Imposed deadlines on a recalcitrant EPA and removed stall opportunity
  • No landfilling of bulk liquids
  • No land disposal of high risk wastes
  • No storage of wastes barred from landfills
  • No road dust suppression with Dioxin contaminated oil
  • No deepwell injection near drinking water aquifers
  • No bare steel underground storage tanks (USTs)
  • No open dumping of solid and hazardous wastes

  ---

  RCRA Overview (see Table I @ p329 of text)
  

  • Identification
  • Notification
  • Generators
  • Transporters
  • Owners & Operators of Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities

    Identification:

    • By Listing
      • Non-specific sources (Eg. spent solvents) - (Fnnn)
      • From specific sources (Eg. sludge) - (Knnn)
      • Commercial products
        • acutely hazardous when discarded (Pnnn)
        • toxic (Unnn)
      
      or
      
    • By Characteristic
      • ignitability (D001)
      • corrosivity (D002)
      • reactivity (D003)
      • toxicity (D004-D0043)
        • use Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure

      RCRA methodology: First identify as a solid waste

      • includes liquids, semi-solids, contained gasses (see text @p. 331)
      • as of '85 includes "any discarded material not subject to exclusion"
        • discarded=abandoned, recycled, inherently waste-like
        • exclusions include household wastes, arsenic treated wood wastes (see list @ p 333)

      Then look to above listings or characteristics to determine if "hazardous"

      If "hazardous", RCRA's "cradle to grave" requirements apply
      Non hazardous solid waste mixed with some hazardous waste = hazardous waste
      Hazardous waste may be "derived from" another waste source (Eg incinerator ash)
      Contaminated media (Eg a groundwater supply) also subject to RCRA

      ---

      Notification - All generators, transporters, and owners/operators of TSD facilities must notify EPA (Form 8700-12)
      Generators - the "cradle"
      • recordkeeping
      • obtain EPA ID #
      • prepare a Uniform Hazardous Waste Mainifest (RCRA's manifest system)
      • pass manifest along to transporters, treaters and disposers
      • ultimate disposer sends copy of manifest back for recordkeeping
      
      Small Generators: up to 100 kg./mo exempt; 100-1000 kg/mo= virtually same procedures
      

      Transporters

      • manifest stays with waste
      • labelling
      • container requirements
      • spill response training
      • placards on trucks (Eg for firefighting safety in accidents)
      
      

      Owners & Operators of TSD facilities

      • training
      • permit required (interim status followed by final RCRA permit)
      • no landfilling bulk liquids
      • double liners
      • controls
      • Waste Analysis Plan