Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Compliance Monitoring
RCRA Topics
To protect human health and the environment, EPA works with its federal, state, and tribal regulatory partners to assure compliance with statutes and regulations in the management of hazardous wastes and underground storage tanks. The major federal law governing proper management of these wastes and units is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Most of the compliance monitoring responsibility under RCRA is delegated to the states and local authorities. EPA provides oversight of compliance monitoring activities in the RCRA program to ensure facilities are properly inspected.
RCRA encompasses several different program areas. They include:
- Hazardous Waste - EPA and its regulatory partners inspect facilities who generate, transport, treat, store or dispose of hazardous waster to verify compliance with applicable regulations.
- Underground Storage Tanks (UST) - EPA and its regulatory partners conduct inspections of USTs to assure compliance with technical standards and corrective actions when a release has occurred.
- Recycled Used Oil - EPA and its regulatory partners conduct inspections of recycled used oil facilities to assure compliance with applicable regulations.
- Hazardous Waste Import/Export Program - requires prior notification of shipment of wastes, collects export manifests documenting individual shipments of waste, and receives export annual reports from the regulated community. The program also assists in developing and handling international and border aspects of civil RCRA enforcement matters.