The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is
the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste
. The law describes the waste management program mandated by Congress that gave EPA authority to develop the RCRA program.
What is the main goal of RCRA?
RCRA, which amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, set national goals for:
Protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal
. Conserving energy and natural resources.
What is the purpose of the RCRA?
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) gives
EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from cradle to grave
. This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes.
What action is regulated by the RCRA?
To achieve these objectives, RCRA authorizes
EPA to regulate the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste
(also referred to as “cradle-to-grave management”) and the management of solid waste.
How does the RCRA work?
In its mission to protect human health and the environment, RCRA
regulates the management of hazardous waste using a “cradle-to-grave” approach
. In other words, a hazardous waste is regulated from the moment it is created to the time of its final disposal.
Is the RCRA effective?
RCRA standards, when properly implemented, have
proven to be highly effective in preventing these and other hazards associated with acute-risk wastes
. In doing so, the RCRA program saves lives and property. Long-term Stewardship Wastes that are generated and cannot be reused or recycled must be permanently disposed.
What determines RCRA status?
The determination of your hazardous waste generator status is necessary in order to identify which of the RCRA regulations (Federal & State) apply to your operations and what you must do to ensure compliance. This determination is
based on the amount of non-exempt hazardous waste you generate in a calendar month.
Who needs RCRA training?
RCRA training is required for
personnel who work at large and small quantity generator facilities
. For very small quantity generators, we strongly recommend RCRA training to ensure your facility can achieve and maintain compliance.
When has the RCRA been used?
RCRA was signed into law on
October 21, 1976
to address the increasing problems the nation faced from our growing volume of municipal and industrial waste. RCRA was an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, which was the first statute that specifically focused on improving solid waste disposal methods.
What are RCRA drugs?
RCRA Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals
In contrast to the NIOSH list of hazardous drugs, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates and lists hazardous waste pharmaceuticals –
those drugs that must be managed as hazardous waste
.
Which government agency is responsible for enforcing RCRA?
Receiving authorization from the U.S. EPA means that
DTSC
is the primary authority enforcing the RCRA hazardous waste requirements in California. RCRA Subtitle C establishes standards for the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste in the United States.
Who enforces the RCRA?
EPA
enforces requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regarding the safe handling, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.
How does RCRA define hazardous waste?
In regulatory terms, a hazardous waste is a waste that appears on one of the four RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) hazardous wastes lists (the F-list, K-list, P-list, or U-list) or that exhibits one of the four
characteristics of a hazardous waste
– ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.
What impact has the RCRA had?
“RCRA is one of the great environmental success stories of the past 40 years.” The law’s effects on
restoring contaminated land, reducing emissions, preventing improper handling of waste
, raising recycling rates and a wide range of other environmental benefits cannot be understated.
What is a RCRA site?
Legal Issues at RCRA Sites
RCRA sites are governed by the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
. The RCRA Corrective Action Program compels facility owners and operators to address the investigation and cleanup of hazardous releases themselves.
How does recycling factor into RCRA policy?
When recycling, how a material is regulated under RCRA (i.e., whether or not it is a solid and potentially a hazardous waste) depends on
what type of material it is and what type of recycling is occurring
. State regulatory requirements for generators may be more stringent than those in the federal program.
