&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305W)
EPA530-F-96-015
August 1996
Office of Solid Waste
Environmental
Fact Sheet
NO HAZARDOUS WASTE LISTING
PROPOSED FOR 14 SOLVENTS
Background
The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984-obligated the Agency to
study and make a hazardous waste listing determination for solvents. In 1980 and
1986, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed a total of 30 chemicals as
hazardous waste spent solvents. Many .of these solvents were widely used in many
different industries, and had caused environmental damage at many sites. Although
the Agency listed these solvents as hazardous, other solvents that may have been
potentially hazardous to human health and the environment were not examined. As
a result of a consent decree issued in June 1991, EPA agreed to make hazardous
waste listing determinations on wastes generated from the-use of 14 chemicals as
solvents.
Action
EPA proposes not to amend the regulations for hazardous waste management
under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for wastes generated .
during the use of certain organic solvents. The Agency proposes not to list as haz- ,
ardous wastes that are generated from the solvent use of any of the following 14
chemicals: acetonitrile, benzyl chloride, cumene, cyclohexariol, 1,4-dichlorobenzene,
epichlorohydrin, ethylene dibromide, 2-ethoxyethanol acetate, furfural, isophorone,
2-methoxyethanol, 2-methoxyethanol acetate, methyl chloride, and phenol.
Based on current management practices and low levels of exposure, the Agency
has determined that these solvent wastes pose little or no risk to human health or
the environment. Only a few of these chemicals are widely used as solvents, and
most either .have no significant solvent uses, or have only very specialized solvent
uses. The proposal is not a determination that these chemicals are riontoxic: The
vast majority of the nonwastewaters residuals generated from solvent uses are, in
fact, already regulated as hazardous waste because they exhibit a hazardous waste
characteristic. Rather, this is a determination that these specific wastes do not
need to be added to the RCRA hazardous waste listings.
More Information
The Federal Register (FK) notice and this fact sheet are available on the Internet
System through EPA Public Access Server at gopher.epa.gov. For additional infor-
mation or to order paper copies, of the FR notice, contact the RCRA Hotline. Callers
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within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial 703-412-9810 or TDD 703-412-
3323 (hearing impaired). Long-distance callers may call 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-
800-553-7672. The RCRA Hotline is open Monday,-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Eastern Standard Time.
Copies of documents applicable to this rule may be obtained by writing: RCRA
Information Center (RIG), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste (5303W), 401 M Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.
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