United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA/530-F-92-029
Agency (OS-305) October 1992
Office of Solid Waste
&EPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
FINAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE
WOOD PRESERVING REGULATIONS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated a final rule
that modifies several components of the regulations established in 1990
for managing wastes generated in the wood preserving industry. EPA
initially proposed such modifications in the December 5. 1991 Federal
Register.
Background
On December 6, 1990, EPA published in the Federal Register a final
rule listing three categories of wood preserving wastes as
"hazardous." The rule subjected the management of these wastes
to regulation under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) and established standards for managing hazardous wastes
on "drip pads," a containment and collection system commonly used
in the wood preserving industry.
Following promulgation of the December 1990 rule, EPA and
industry representatives together identified problems with
implementing and interpreting the regulations. As a result. EPA
published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register
on December 5, 1991 to modify the wood preserving regulations, and
requested public comment on the proposal.
Action
EPA has evaluated the comments received and is now making
final a set of modifications to the wood preserving requirements, not
unlike those proposed in 1991. The modifications amount to
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the establishment of more practical, less prescriptive drip pad
management and design standards. The modifications include:
• narrowing the scope of the wastewater listings to those
wastewaters that come in contact with process contaminants,
• eliminating the F032 designation for past users of chlorophenolic
formulations if F034 or F035 wastes are currently being
generated,
• revising the drip pad cleaning requirements to require cleaning as
needed to facilitate weekly inspections,
• adding requirements that drip pad surface materials be chemically
resistant and be maintained to prevent deterioration,
• replacing the requirement that new drip pad coatings, sealers, and
covers be "impermeable" with a choice between the use of a
coating/sealer on the surface or the installation of a liner and leak
detection system equipped with leak collection,
• replacing the requirement that existing and new drip pads be
"impermeable" with a requirement that they meet a numerical
permeabiltiy standard, and
• requiring the cleanup of storage yard "drippage" and contingency
plans for such cleanup.
EPA believes these modifications will not diminish the
environmental protectiveness of the regulations.
Contact
For further 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. The national toll-free number
is (800) 424-9346; for the hearing impaired, it is (TDD) (800)
553-7672. In Washington, D.C., the number is (703) 920-9810 or
TDD(703) 486-3323. Or write to: RCRA Information Center, Office
of Solid Waste (OS-305), U.S. EPA 401 M Street, S.W., Washington,
D.C. 20460. Information is also available from the Small Business
Ombudsman Hotline. The national toll-free number is (800) 305-5027.
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