Hazardous
Waste
Latest News and Updates
Issue
Summary
Many local governments
must deal with hazardous wastes at two different levels: (1) as a
hazardous generator and (2) as the responsible entity for protecting
landfills and other municipal solid waste collection/disposal
operations from hazardous waste disposal.
Hazardous waste is
defined by federal (Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act or RCRA) and state
regulations. In general, hazardous waste is
either a specifically listed material (e.g., spent cleaning solvent)
or is hazardous due to its characteristics (i.e., ignitable,
corrosive, reactive or toxic). Hazardous waste generated by local
governments can include waste paint, spent solvents, pesticides,
discarded cleaning products, excess/discarded/spilled chemicals, and
many other substances. All hazardous wastes must be managed
according to state and federal laws and the persons responsible for
handling the wastes must be trained.
Landfills and other
solid waste facilities operated by local governments are generally
not designed for handling large volumes of hazards waste. To
minimize the introduction of hazardous waste to these facilities,
many communities have established household hazardous waste
collections. This is typically accomplished by designating permanent
collection/exchange areas at landfills or by establishing special
collection days at a central location. These types of operations
require permitting by Regional EPA or state environmental agencies.
Resources
U.S. EPA
Hazardous
Waste. Learn more about hazardous waste and the
regulations that govern it.
Household
Hazardous Waste. The options of reduction, reuse,
recycling, and disposal-listed in order of EPA's preferred waste
management hierarchy-are all important tools to safely manage HHW.
States
Hazardous
Waste State Locator. Use this locator to find
hazardous waste and RCRA compliance resources on state websites. You
will find general information, fact sheets, permit forms and
guidance, contact information and other helpful resources and tools.
Publications
Hazardous
Waste Publications. Useful publications for business,
households and local governments.
GovLink.org.
Useful hazardous waste publications for small businesses.
Databases and Tools
Conducting
Compliance Audits for Facilities with PCBs, Asbestos, and Lead Paint.
This audit protocol provides regulated entities with specific
guidance to evaluate their self-compliance with federal environmental
requirements. It is a tool that users can use to guide them as they
conduct and document environmental audits. This audit protocol
applies to facilities that are subject to the federal regulations
governing the following types of activities: the use, disposal,
cleanup and storage of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); the removal
of asbestos from buildings and its ultimate disposal, and/or;
notifications, training and work practice standards for lead-based
paint.
Conducting
Compliance Audits of Hazardous Waste Generators. This
audit protocol provides regulated entities with specific guidance to
evaluate their self-compliance with federal environmental
requirements. It is a tool that users can use to guide them as they
conduct and document environmental audits, which will inform them
whether their facility is in compliance with federal regulations.
This protocol is intended to help inform facilities that generate
hazardous waste (A solid waste is a hazardous waste if it is a RCRA
listed hazardous waste or if it exhibits any of the characteristics
defined in RCRA).
Conducting
Compliance Audits of Storage Tanks. This audit
protocol provides regulated entities with specific guidance to
self-evaluate their compliance with federal environmental
requirements. It is a tool that users can use to guide them as they
conduct and document environmental audits. This audit protocol
applies to facilities that store and manage petroleum, hazardous
substances, and hazardous waste in underground and/or aboveground
storage tanks as regulated under RCRA.
Conducting
Compliance Audits of Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Units.
This audit protocol provides regulated entities with specific
guidance to evaluate their self-compliance with federal environmental
requirements. It is a tool that users can use to guide them as they
conduct and document environmental audits. This protocol is intended
to help inform facilities that store, treat, or dispose of hazardous
waste (A solid waste is a hazardous waste if it is a RCRA listed
hazardous waste or if it exhibits any of the characteristics defined
in RCRA).
Conducting
Compliance Audits Under the Community-Right-to-Know Act.
This audit protocol provides regulated entities with specific
guidance to self-evaluate their compliance with federal environmental
requirements. It is a tool that users can use to guide them as they
conduct and document environmental audits. This protocol addresses
facilities that manufacture, process, store, or otherwise use
extremely hazardous substances (applicable to those who must comply
with EPCRA requirements: emergency planning, emergency release
notification, community right-to-know reporting, and toxic chemical
release reporting).
Conducting
Superfund Compliance Audits. This audit protocol
provides regulated entities with specific guidance to self-evaluate
their compliance with federal environmental requirements. It is a
tool that users can use to guide them as they conduct and document
environmental audits. This protocol addresses facilities (as
regulated under CERCLA) where hazardous substances were released or
pose a substantial threat of release.
Superfund
Site Mapping Tool. This tool allows users to produce
detailed maps of local areas that contain superfund sites, including
waterbodies, roads, schools, and other landmarks.
TRI
Explorer. This tool provides users with access to the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI) data. This data consists of information on toxic
chemical releases and other waste management activities, as reported
annually by covered industry groups and federal facilities regulated
under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
Local governments can use this tool to generate reports and identify
facilities and chemical release patterns in their communities.
|