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Solvent-Contaminated Industrial Wipes
Hazardous Waste Management System: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste: Conditional Exclusions from Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste for Solvent-Contaminated Industrial Wipes; Proposed Rule - November 20, 2003
EPA is proposing to modify its hazardous waste management regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for certain solvent-contaminated materials, such as reusable shop towels, rags, disposable wipes and paper towels. Specifically, EPA is proposing: to conditionally exclude from the definition of hazardous waste disposable industrial wipes that are contaminated with hazardous solvents and are going to disposal; and, to conditionally exclude from the definition of solid waste reusable industrial shop towels and rags that are contaminated with hazardous solvents and are sent for laundering or dry cleaning (hereinafter referred to as disposable industrial wipes and reusable industrial wipes, respectively). This proposal affects contaminated industrial wipes being sent to both landfill and non-landfill (e.g., laundries and combustion) facilities and is applicable to: industrial wipes exhibiting a hazardous characteristic (i.e., ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity) due to use with solvents; or industrial wipes contaminated with F001-F005 spent F-listed solvents or comparable P- and U-listed commercial chemical products that are spilled and cleaned up with industrial wipes.
This proposal would resolve, at the federal level, long-standing issues
associated with the management of solvent-contaminated industrial wipes
by: facilitating pollution prevention and waste minimization opportunities,
including the recycling of the spent solvents extracted from contaminated
industrial wipes; fostering improved solvents management by generators
and handling facilities; reducing compliance costs; increasing consistency
in the regulations governing solvent-contaminated industrial wipes across
the United States; clarifying existing federal rules; and creating flexibility
for generators to work with industrial laundries, as appropriate, to
ensure compliance with local pretreatment standards established by Publicly
Owned Treatment Works (POTWs).
Additionally, the proposal contains the Agency's proposed response to rulemaking petitions filed by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the Scott Paper Company.
Background information for this notice is available through Regulations.gov:
- Select Docket Search.
- Select "Environmental Protection Agency" from the Agency drop-down menu.
- In the Docket ID box, type in the docket number — RCRA-2003-0004 and press the "Submit" button to receive search results. Be patient; loading the documents takes time.
Federal Registers
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
- Proposed Rule - November 20, 2003 || Proposed Rule (PDF) (35 pp, 255K)
- Extension of Comment Period - January 30, 2004 || Extension of Public Comment Period (PDF) (2 pp, 41K)
- Notice of Public Hearing and Extension of Comment Period (PDF) - February 24, 2004 (1 pg, 38K)
