Compliance Assistance

Every year, communities across the United States generate over 200 million tons of "trash" - over four pounds per person, per day. Less than one-quarter of it is recycled; the rest is incinerated or buried in landfills. To address this issue, communities can first decide how to effectively manage their solid waste and then determine the best funding solution.

EPA regulates hazardous and non-hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Municipal waste consists mainly of paper, yard trimmings, glass, and other materials. While EPA runs the federal program, individual states have adopted federal standards and operate their state-specific waste management programs.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Compliance Assistance Web site provides EPA's compliance assistance tools regarding the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). It enhances environmental compliance assistance by providing links to documents, tools, information and other related and linked Web sites for compliance with environmental requirements related to household waste and hazardous substances management.

To help communities plan to meet future compliance requirement, EPA maintains a searchable database containing information about new regulations, proposed rules, the Federal Register, dockets, and the regulatory agenda of future regulations to allow systems to better plan expansions and upgrades. EPA's Office of Solid Waste maintains a Web page containing information about current regulations, guidance, policies and other resources.

The Financing Resources and Tools by Media box at the right side of this page contains links to information which may be helpful, during the financial planning process. Tools include technical and financial provider and resource information as well as program contacts.

This site also includes specialized resources for small communities and Indian tribes.

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