Hazardous Waste Management and RCRA Regulations

Vocabulary and regulatory standards regarding the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and hazardous waste identification.

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)

A Federal law passed in $1976$ and amended in $1984$ that regulates hazardous waste and grants the EPA authority to manage it from Cradle to Grave.

Cradle to Grave

The hazardous waste management concept where responsibility for waste extends from its generation through transportation, treatment, storage, and final disposal.

Three Goals of RCRA

(1) Protect human health and the environment; (2) Reduce waste and conserve energy and natural resources; (3) Reduce or eliminate hazardous waste generation as quickly as possible.

Regulatory Hierarchy

The protocol stating that when regulations from agencies such as EPA, OSHA, DOT, and CT DEEP conflict, the most stringent requirement applies.

RCRA Non-Compliance Penalty

A fine of up to $72,718$ per day per violation for hazardous waste storage or disposal violations.

Clean Air Act Non-Compliance Penalty

A fine of up to $97,229$ per day per violation.

Safe Drinking Water Act Non-Compliance Penalty

A fine of up to $55,907$ per day per violation.

Clean Water Act Non-Compliance Penalty

A fine of up to $53,484$ per day per violation.

TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) Non-Compliance Penalty

A fine of up to $38,892$ per day per violation for substances including asbestos, lead, and PCBs.

Solid Waste (Legal Definition)

Any discarded material, including solids, liquids, semi-solids, and contained gaseous materials.

Sink Disposal Restriction

The requirement that only soap and water may be discharged into laboratory drains.

EPA Trio

Inherently waste-like materials categorized as Rusty, Crusty, or Dusty because they visually indicate a hazard.

Characteristic Waste

Hazardous waste that exhibits one or more of four specific traits: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.

Ignitability

A hazardous waste characteristic involving a flashpoint below $60\,^\circ\text{C}$ or materials that are flammable solids, gases, or oxidizers.

Corrosivity

A hazardous waste characteristic defined by a pH of $\le 2$ or $\ge 12.5$.

Reactivity

A hazardous waste characteristic involving instability, violent reactions with water or heat, or the presence of cyanides or sulfides.

Toxicity

A hazardous waste characteristic determined through the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) to assess groundwater contamination potential.

TCLP

The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, an EPA test used to determine whether a waste is toxic and capable of contaminating groundwater.

Toxicity Characteristic Metals

A group of eight metals: Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, Selenium, and Silver.

Listed Waste

Hazardous waste specifically named in regulations, such as commercial chemical products, off-specification products, and spill residues.

P-Codes

Regulatory listings for acute hazardous waste involving particularly dangerous chemicals.

U-Codes

Regulatory listings for hazardous waste involving toxic commercial chemical products.

P-Listed Chemical Examples

Chemicals such as Allyl Alcohol, Carbon Disulfide, Osmium Tetroxide, Propargyl Alcohol, and Sodium Azide.

Acute Waste (P-List) Empty Container Rule

A P-listed container is legally empty only after triple rinsing with a solvent, using a validated equivalent cleaning method, or removing the inner liner.

Satellite Accumulation Area (SAS)

A location near the point of generation where hazardous waste is accumulated before transfer to the main accumulation area.