United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-94-013
September 1994
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305)
&ERA RCRA/UST,
SUPERFUND,
& EPCRA
HOTLINE
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% recycled fiber
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Our Purpose
The RCRA/UST, Superfund, and
EPCRA Hotline is a publicly-
accessible service that provides up-
to-date information on several
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) programs. The Hotline
responds to factual questions on federal EPA
regulations developed under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA),
which includes the Underground Storage Tank
(UST) program; the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund); the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Act (EPCRA); and on certain related
EPA regulations. The Hotline also responds to
requests for relevant documents.
Using the Hotline
Anyone can call the Hotline — we
offer information to a broad
audience including consultants,
manufacturers, members of trade
associations and environmental
organizations, lawyers, health
professionals, state and local government
representatives, citizens, and other callers
with diverse backgrounds and varying degrees
of regulatory knowledge. Our automated
message system expedites service by supplying
information on hot regulatory topics and by
directing each caller to the appropriate
Hotline program area at the touch of a button.
Callers seeking regulatory information can
speak to a Hotline staff member who
specializes in the RCRA/UST or the
EPCRA/Superfund programs. Those seeking to
order EPA publications pertaining to any of the
Hotline's four program areas can speak to a
Document Specialist.
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Regulations
The Hotline's team of Information Specialists
relies on federal regulations and various forms
of EPA guidance to provide quick, accurate
responses to questions on the following
regulatory programs:
> KCRA/Underground Storage Tanks
Under the authority of RCRA, a 1976 law
which amended the Solid Waste Disposal
Act, EPA has created a complex regulatory
framework addressing solid waste disposal
and hazardous waste management. Questions
on RCRA regulations often concern:
• federal procurement of products that contain
recycled material
• hazardous waste generators and transporters
• land disposal restrictions (LDR)
• municipal solid waste landfill criteria
• solid and hazardous waste recycling
• treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
• waste minimization and hazardous waste
combustion
The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
(HSWA) of 1984 broadened the scope of RCRA.,
authorizing EPA to regulate underground
storage tanks containing petroleum products
and hazardous substances. The resulting UST
program includes provisions governing:
• corrective action
• financial responsibility
• release detection
• tank installation and closure
£> Superfund
The 1980 enactment of CERCLA initiated the
Superfund program, allowing EPA to identify
and clean up abandoned or uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites and to recover costs from.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
5305
401 M Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20450
Official Business, Penalty for Private Use $300
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parties responsible for the contamination. The
Superfund program generates questions on
topics such as:
• applicable or relevant and appropriate
requirements (ARARs)
• the National Contingency Plan (NCP)
• the National Priorities List (NPL)
• radiation site cleanup regulations
• reportable quantities for hazardous
substances
> EPCRA
In November of 1986, Congress enacted the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Act (EPCRA), also known as
SARA Title III, to help communities prepare
for chemical emergencies and to grant citizens
and government officials access to information
about potential chemical hazards. Topics
commonly addressed include:
• emergency planning
• hazardous chemical inventory reporting
• public access to chemical information
• toxic chemical release reporting and the
FormR
• the toxic release inventory (TRI) database
EPCRA Information Specialists also answer
questions on the Accidental Release Prevention
Provisions of the Clean Air Act §112(r),
including Risk Management Plans (RMPs).
The RCRA/UST, Superfund, & EPCRA Hotline
operates under Contract No. 68-WO-0039.
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Documents
The Hotline maintains up-to-
date information on the
availability and distribution of
documents that pertain to
Hotline program areas. The
Hotline's document line
identifies several commonly-requested
documents that callers may order by leaving a
message. For all other publications, callers can
speak to a Document Specialist, who will
either take the caller's request or provide a
referral to the proper distributor.
Referrals
RCRA/UST, Superfund, and
EPCRA Information
Specialists work hard to
answer every question
received, accessing a vast array of resources.
Some questions, however, are not within the
scope of the Hotline's services. Information
Specialists cannot answer questions which
require interpretation of EPA regulations or
policies, demand legal analysis, involve
unresolved issues, or pertain to state-specific
requirements. We refer such questions to the
appropriate EPA office, federal or state
agency, or other source.
RCRA/UST, Superfund, & EPCRA
Hotline
(800) 424-9346
(800) 535-0202
Local (703) 412-9810
TDD (800)553-7672
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. EST
Closed Federal Holidays
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