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Federal Dangerous Waste Regulations and Guidance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - protects human health
and safeguards the natural environment - air, water, and land -
upon which life depends. EPA provides policy, research, enforcement,
guidance and technical assistance through it's headquarters and
regional offices. The Washington State equivalent of EPA is the
Department of Ecology, which can have additional state only
regulations.
The
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
RCRA was enacted in 1976 to safely manage and dispose of the huge
volumes of municipal and industrial waste generated nationwide. The
RCRA program is administered by EPA's Office of Solid
Waste (OSW) Exit Ecology.
Subtitles C and D of RCRA set forth the framework for EPA's
comprehensive waste management program:
- RCRA Subtitle C regulates the management of hazardous waste from
the time it is generated until it's ultimate disposal (referred to as
'cradle to grave'). Washington State implements Subtitle C through the
Department of Ecology's Hazardous Waste
and Toxics Reduction program.
- RCRA Subtitle D regulates the management of solid (primarily
non-hazardous) waste, such as household waste. Washington State
implements Subtitle D through the Ecology's Solid Waste
Program program.
- RCRA Subtitle I regulates the underground storage tanks (USTs)
that store petroleum or hazardous substances. Washington State
regulates underground storage tanks through the Ecology's Toxics Cleanup
Program program.
- The RCRA Corrective Action Program manages environmental cleanup
of sites that managed hazardous wastes. Washington State implements
the RCRA Corrective Action Program through the Model Toxics Control
Act and Ecology's Toxics Cleanup
Program program.
- EPA's contained in policy covers contaminated environmental media
such as soils and groundwater that have been contaminated with RCRA
waste. Washington State determines whether a waste is contained in
media through the Model Toxics Control Act and Ecology's Toxics Cleanup
Program program.
RCRA regulations are available from the EPA:
The RCRA Online database enables users to locate documents that
cover a wide range of RCRA issues and topics.
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- Clean
Air Act Exit Ecology CAA)
- protects and enhances the quality of the nation's air through seven
titles, or sections. Each title creates one or more programs that
regulate various types of air emissions. The regulations are in 40 CFR
50-99
- Clean Water
Act Exit Ecology (CWA)
- eliminates and prohibits the discharge of pollutants into surface
waters. The regulations are in 40 CFR 100-149 and 400-469
- Safe
Drinking Water Act Exit
Ecology (SDWA) - protects human health from contaminants in
drinking water. The regulations are in 40 CFR 141-143
- Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Exit Ecology (FIFRA) - regulates the registration
and labeling of pesticides. The regulations are in 40 CFR 152-186
- Toxic Substances Control
Act Exit Ecology (TSCA)
- control the manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal of harmful
chemicals such as asbestos and PCBs. TSCA regulates the disposal
stage of a chemical's life cycle on a chemical-by-chemical basis,
while RCRA establishes regulations and programs to ensure safe waste
treatment and disposal of any number of chemicals and generally deals
with waste streams rather than individual chemicals. The regulations
are in 40 CFR 702-799
- Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act Exit Ecology (EPCRA) - informs
citizens about the chemical hazards present in their communities
though a reporting system. The regulations are in 40 CFR 350-372
- Pollution Prevention Act
Exit Ecology (PPA) -
defines pollution prevention as source reduction and other practices
that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased
efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water or other
resources, or protection of natural resources by conservation.
Pollution prevention is the highest tier in a hierarchy of acceptable
industrial management practices. The pollution that cannot be
prevented should be recycled. If it is not feasible to prevent or
recycle, pollution should be treated. Disposal or release into the
environment should be used only as a last resort.
- Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Exit Ecology (CERCLA, or
Superfund) - addresses uncontrolled hazardous waste. The Hazardous
Substances Response Trust Fund (Superfund) is supported by
appropriations from Congress, interest earned, and money recovered
from responsible parties. CERCLA cleanup costs are assumed by
polluters when possible, and Trust Fund money is available to fund
cleanup when not. The Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act
(SARA) in 1986, applies to releases or threats of releases of
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. CERCLA hazardous
substances include all RCRA hazardous wastes as well as substances
listed by other statutes, such as TSCA, the CWA, and the CAA.40 CFR
300-310
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration mission is to
save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's
workers. OSHA staff establishes protective work standards, enforces
those standards, and reaches out to employers and employees through
technical assistance and consultation programs. The Washington State
equivalent of OSHA is Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act
(WISHA), which can have additional state only standards.
- OSHA's general website is http://www.osha.gov/
Exit Ecology.
-
OSHA has a very useful and extensive standards, interactive
advisors and interpretive documents on asbestos, lead and other toxic
and hazardous substances encountered during construction and
demolition activity.
Contact the state Department of Labor and Industries, WISHA
Services Division for OSHA information because Washington is an OSHA
authorized state.
- L&I / WISHA website www.wa.gov/lni/
Exit Ecology
- Information and Receptionist at 360 902-5580
- FAX Number 360 902-5529
- Safety and Health Hotline is 800 423-7233.
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The Department of Transportation regulates hazardous and
non-hazardous materials in all modes of transportation (highway, air,
water, rail). The USDOT regulations are found in Title 49 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR). The Department of Transportation is
concerned with loading, movement and transport, not with storage
before transport. Specific waste containers, labels, marking, and
vehicle placards are required for specific wastes. Employees who work
with the transportation of hazardous materials must be trained.
- The USDOT website is http://www.dot.gov/
Exit Ecology. The
Washington State Department of Transportation hotline phone number is
(360) 366-4488.
The Federal Highway Administration coordinates USDOT highway
transportation programs. USDOT regulatory information may be
obtained from the FHWA.
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