United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency. Response EPA530-F-97-014
Agency . (5305W) April 1997
Office.of Solid Waste : '. • ~~ ~~
&EPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
TREATMENT STANDARDS FINALIZED
FOR WOOD PRESERVING WASTES;
LESS PAPERWORK REQUIRED UNDER
LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS (LDR)
PROGRAM
Background
The widespread practice of disposing of hazardous waste in units located
directly on the land has been regulated by the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) LDR program for many years. A major part of the LDR
program is to adequately protect public health and safety by establishing
treatment standards for hazardous wastes before they can be disposed of in land
disposal units. These treatment standards either specify that the waste be
treated by a specified technology, or that they be treated by any technology as
long as the concentration of hazardous constituents is below a certain level.
UniversalTreatment Standards (UTS) specify the concentration levels for
hazardous constituents.
Writing flexible regulations for hazardous waste management allows EPA to
respond to technological and industrial advances. This rule recognizes such
changes, and contains several.improvements to the LDR regulatory provision.
Action
Standards
LDR treatment standards for listed hazardous waste from wood preserving
operations are set at the Universal Treatment Standard levels. An alternative
compliance method for one wood-preserving waste (EPA waste code F032) is
provided for those wastes treated in combustion units. To ensure consistency
between standards, treatment standards are revised for a similar waste - - EPA
waste code F024-- that was regulated in an earlier rule.
LDR treatment standards are removed for a group of hazardous wastes
known as the California List. This action greatly simplifies the LDR program.
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Since the California List wastes were one of the first groups regulated by the
LDR progra, the treatment standards have been superseded.
The definition of solid waste is amended to exclude processed scrap metal and
containerized shredded circuit boards from full hazardous waste management,
when they are properly recycled. The basis for this exclusion is that these
materials are more "commodity-like" than waste-like, and are appropriately
managed outside of the hazardous waste system.
Paperwork Reduction
Approximately 1.6 million hours of LDR record-keeping requirements are
eliminated in this action. Specifically, a fundamental requirement to notify each
treator/disposer about LDR treatment standards with each shipment of
hazardous waste is changed. Instead, the notification is required only for the
initial shipment of the waste. The paperwork does not have to be prepared for
subsequent shipments until the waste changes or the received facility changes.
For More Information
The Federal Register notice and this fact sheet are available in electronic
format on the Internet through the EPA Public Access Server. The notice is
available at http://www.epa.gov/rules, regulations, and legislation. This fact
sheet and other documents related to this rule are available under "EPA Offices
and Regions." For additional information or to order paper copies of any
documents, 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 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-800-553-7672. The RCRA
Hotline operates weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Write to the RCRA
Information Center (5305W), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC
20460.
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