Washington State Department of Ecology

Household Lead Waste Disposal

Household Lead Waste Disposal
EPA's Suggested "Best Management Practices" for Disposal of Residential Lead Painted Waste

Note - Homeowners or contractors (including volunteers) disturbing or removing lead in residential dwellings may be subject to other lead regulations. Particular activities that may be regulated are occupant notification, worker protection, worker certification and training, and real estate transactions. See Local lead Regs and Guidance, State Lead Regs and Guidance, Federal Lead Regs and Guidance, Sampling and Testing for Residential Lead Abatement for more information.

Household Lead Waste Disposal

Household wastes are excluded from Ecology's Dangerous Waste Regulations (the WAC). This exclusion only applies to waste disposal.

See Household Hazardous Waste on this website, or WAC 173-303-071(3)(c) Exit Ecology of the Dangerous Waste Regulations to read the exclusion.

Homeowners or contractors with household lead wastes don't have to identify or test lead waste to dispose of it.

If the lead waste is generated by " the renovation, remodeling, rehabilitation, and/or abatement" on a residence (which includes single family homes, apartment buildings, public housing, and military barracks) - it's exempt from the Dangerous Waste regulations.
It does not matter if the homeowner or a contractor does the work.

However, the following lead wastes are not exempt in Washington State:

Lead wastes generated by the demolition of an entire residence . Demolition wastes are not considered to be a normal household waste stream.
Lead wastes generated by a home based business such as cabinet making.
Lead wastes generated at non-residential sites.

Generators of non-exempt lead paint wastes are required to designate their waste and determine if it is regulated by the Dangerous Waste Regulations.

Dispose of Household Lead Wastes according to local solid waste regulations. This can means

a construction and demolition waste landfill,
a moderate risk waste collection facility,
a household waste collection event, or
another solid waste facility such as a municipal landfill.

Contact your local solid waste utility, local and/or tribal government for more information.

Local and tribal governments may enforce more stringent or broader restrictions or regulations than federal or state requirements. Under such circumstances, lead abatement waste from households may still be regulated as a hazardous waste.

Washington State Moderate Risk Waste Coordinators Directory is at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/mrw/mrw_contacts.html

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EPA's Suggested "Best Management Practices" for Disposal of Residential Lead Painted Waste

Lead paint wastes are not less hazardous because they fall within the household waste exclusion. EPA, therefore, recommends that residents/households generating LBP waste take the following steps for proper handling and disposal of LBP waste:

"Collect paint chips and dust, and dirt and rubble in plastic trash bags for disposal.
Store larger LBP architectural debris pieces in containers until ready for disposal.
Consider using a covered mobile dumpster (such as a roll-off container) for storage of LBP debris until the job is done.
Contact local municipalities or county solid waste offices to determine where and how LBP debris can be disposed. These precautionary measures would minimize generation of lead dust, and limit access to stored debris."

From the Federal Register Volume 63, Number 243, Dec. 18, 1998 Exit Ecology, Lead-based paint debris; management and disposal, page 70242.

This guidance replaces previous interpretations including the May, 1994 EPA letter from Michael Shapiro, Director of the Office of Solid Waste and a similar March 15, 1993 Department of Ecology Memo from Tom Eaton to Moderate Risk Waste staff, Regulatory Status of Wastes Generated By Contractors Working at Households.

References:

EPA Memorandum: Regulatory Status of Waste Generated by Contractors and Residents from Lead-Based Paint Activities Conducted in Households - signed July 31, 2000

PDF version http://www.epa.gov/oppt/lead/pubs/hhwmemo-july00fnl.pdf Exit Ecology

EPA Fact Sheet: Regulatory Status of Waste Generated by Contractors and Residents from Lead-Based Paint Activities Conducted in Households at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/lead/pubs/leaddebr.htm Exit Ecology

Also See Household Hazardous Waste

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