Recycled Used Oil Compliance Monitoring
RCRA Topics
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) establishes the authority to regulate recycled used oil. Recycled used oil is exactly what its name implies, any petroleum-based or synthetic that has been used. During normal use, impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water or chemicals, can get mixed in with the oil, so that in time, the oil no longer performs well. The Used Oil Management Standards under 40 CFR part 279 impose management requirements affecting the storage, transportation, burning, processing, and re-refining of the used oil.
Compliance monitoring activities
EPA and its regulatory partners conduct inspections of recycled used oil facilities. Inspections involve reviewing a facilities compliance with:
- storage requirements
- transportation requirements
- burning requirements
- processing requirements
- re-refining of the used oil requirements
For parties that merely generate used oil, the regulations establish storage standards.
For a party considered a used oil processor, re-refiner, burner, or marketer (one who generates and sells off-specification used oil directly to a used oil burner), additional tracking and paperwork requirements must be satisfied.