United States             Solid Waste and
                    Environmental Protection      Emergency Response          EPA530-F-92-009
                    Agency                (OS-305)                 May 1992

                    Office of Solid Waste
v°/EPA        Environmental
                    Fact  Sheet
                    Effective Date for Hazardous
                    Debris Treatment Standards
                    Extended One Year
       Background

          On May 8, 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
       finalized regulations establishing most treatment standards for debris
       contaminated with hazardous waste. Because of a lack of treatment
       capacity, this final rule extended the effective date for most of these
       treatment standards to May 8, 1992. From that date on, debris
       contaminated with hazardous waste would be prohibited from land
       disposal unless the treatment standards were met.

          In response to the January 9, 1992 Proposed Rule on Land Disposal
       Restrictions for Newly Listed Wastes and Contaminated Debris, EPA
       received numerous comments regarding the availability of treatment
       capacity for hazardous debris. Most of the commenters indicated that
       owners and operators of treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
       would have an extremely difficult, if not impossible, task of obtaining
       treatment capacity to meet the treatment standards by the May 8,
       1992 deadline.

       Action

          Agreeing with the commenters,  the Agency is extending the effective
       date for most debris contaminated with hazardous waste to May 8,
       1993. This extension is applicable to all persons managing hazardous
       debris, except debris contaminated with solvents, dioxins, or California
       List wastes. Specific recordkeeping must be done and certain other
       requirements must be met to qualify for the extension.

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Conclusion

   EPA has been, and continues to be, cognizant of the existing
capacity shortfall for hazardous debris. The Agency is taking this action
because of unique circumstances which have resulted in the lack of
treatment, recovery, and disposal capacity for hazardous debris.

For More Information

   For more information, or to order a copy of the Federal Register
notice, please call the RCRA Hotline Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST.

           National Toil-Free:               (800)  424-9346;
           For the Hearing Impaired: (TDD)   (800)  553-7672;
           Washington,  DC area:             (703)  920-9810;
           Washington,  DC area: (TDD)       (703)  486-3323;

      Please send all  written requests to:

           RCRA Information Center (OS-305)
           US Environmental Protection Agency
           401 M Street SW
           Washington.  DC 20460

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