United States Solid Waste and Environmental Protection Emergency Resonse EPA530-F-95-015 Agency (5305W) Office of Solid Waste &EPA Environmental Fact Sheet REDESIGNING HAZARDOUS WASTE REGULATIONS ON RECYCLING The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states are working together to revise the regulatory definition of solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Specifically, the revisions will improve EPA's regulation of hazardous waste recycling by: (1) removing disincentives that may cause industries to choose disposal over safe recycling; (2) concentrating on higher-risk materials that pose greater hazards to human health and the environment; and (3) developing simpler definitions and regulations. These revisions will support many of President Clinton's 10 principles for reinventing environmental protection. EPA's goal is to minimize costs and establish performance-based, understandable regulations that work in partnership with state and local requirements. Background In September 1994, EPA issued a report entitled, Re-engineering RCRA for Recycling. Developed in cooperation with the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO), the report proposes tailored management con- trols for different categories of hazardous waste recyclers. Following the recommenda- tions of EPA's Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response, the Agency plans to revise and streamline RCRA requirements for on-site recycling, and to further clarify which materials need full management as RCRA hazardous waste. Action EPA and the states (through ASTSWMO) have developed a detailed strategy for ad- dressing jurisdiction, and for streamlining and implementing requirements for regulated recycling activities. Key points of the program plan include: • Clarifying jurisdiction by determining which recyclable materials are excluded from RCRA management These materials are those destined for more processing rather than disposal, and whose recycling resembles manufacturing more than waste management Some of these "in-process" exclusions will be generic and applicable to many industries. Others will be tailored to specific industries, such as petroleum refining and mineral processing. • Refining management requirements for activities within RCRA jurisdiction so that they encourage recycling while maintaining environmental protection. The manage- ------- ment requirements will be tailored to different kinds of recycling in order to better address die varying practices and materials associated with different industries. • Examining appropriate training needs, information management, and state authori- zation issues in order to more easily implement new regulations. Designing rules with these issues in mind will help to ensure their successful implementation. Some revisions affecting petroleum refining and mining will occur in separate rulemakings within a year. EPA also expects to issue a draft revision to the definition of solid waste in 1996. More Information This fact sheet is available in electronic format on the Internet through the EPA Public Access Server at gopher.epa.gov. It is available under: EPA Offices and Regions/ Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)/Office of Solid Waste/Hazardous Waste/Hazardous Waste Recycling. For additional information or to order paper copies of this fact sheet, call the RCRA Hotline. Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial 703-412-9810 or TDD 703-412-3323 (hearing impaired). Long-distance callers may call toll-free, 1-800- 424-9346 or TDD 1-800- 553-7672. The RCRA Hotline is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. Copies of Re-engineering RCRA for Recycling, and other documents may be obtained by writing: RCRA Information Center (RIC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste (5305W), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460. ------- |