O D)
= ffl =!
in*
m
5
, 0>
O Q.
U)
(D
a
o
N>
2
&EPA Land Disposal
Restrictions for
Hazardous Wastes
A Snapshot of
the Program
-------
The mission of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect
human health and the environment—air,
water, and land. One way EPA fulfills this mission
is by regulating the management and disposal of
hazardous wastes under a law known as the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Congress passed RCRA in 1976 to ensure haz-
ardous waste is safely managed from generation
to disposal. In 1984, Congress updated RCRA by
prohibiting land disposal of certain hazardous
wastes, and, as a result, EPA developed the Land
Disposal Restrictions (LDR) program. The LDR pro-
gram requires that protective treatment standards
must be met before hazardous waste is land dis-
posed. This brochure provides a brief introduction
to the LDR requirements and identifies sources of
more information.
What Is Land Disposal?
Currently, about 23 million tons of hazardous waste
are land disposed each year. Land disposal can be
either in or on the ground—in a landfill, injection
well, or other land-based unit.
Even though landfill units are equipped with safe-
guards, when hazardous waste is not properly treated
before land disposal, it can contaminate groundwater.
Rain can penetrate and pass through hazardous waste
and can leach out and carry hazardous chemicals into
the groundwater.
What Is the LDR Program?
The LDR program ensures that land disposed haz-
ardous waste does not pose a threat to human health
and the environment. EPA accomplishes this by set-
ting treatment standards for all hazardous waste
bound for land disposal. These treatment standards
ensure hazardous waste is properly treated to destroy
or immobilize hazardous chemical components before
it is land disposed.
What Are the Program's Major
Components?
The LDR program has three major components, which
address hazardous waste disposal, dilution, and storage.
The Disposal Prohibition states that,
before a hazardous waste can be land
disposed, treatment standards specific to
that waste material must be met. A facil-
ity may meet such standards by either:
• Treating hazardous chemical con-
stituents in the waste to meet
required treatment levels. Any
method of treatment can be used to
bring concentrations to the appro-
priate level except dilution.
OR
• Treating hazardous waste using a treatment tech-
nology specified by EPA. Once the waste is treated
with the technology required under LDR, it can be
land disposed.
-------
The Dilution Prohibition states that waste must be
properly treated and not simply diluted in concentra-
tion by adding large amounts of water, soil, or non-
hazardous waste. Dilution does not reduce the toxicity
of the hazardous constituents.
The Storage Prohibition states that waste must be
treated and cannot be stored indefinitely. This pre-
vents generators and treatment, storage, and disposal
facilities from storing hazardous waste for long
periods to avoid treatment. Waste may be stored, sub-
ject to the LDR, in tanks, containers, or containment
buildings—but only for the purpose of accumulating
quantities necessary to facilitate proper recovery, treat-
ment, or disposal.
Who Is Impacted by the LDR
Program?
The LDR program impacts many small and large
businesses that generate, store, transport, treat, and
dispose of hazardous waste. If a business or service
produces more than 220 pounds of hazardous waste
(or 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste) in a calen-
dar month, it must properly identify the waste and
determine if it has to be treated before land disposal.
The LDR program also requires all treatment, storage,
and disposal facilities to follow strict standards when
managing the hazardous waste they receive.
When Do the Restrictions Apply?
As soon as a hazardous waste is generated, it is
subject to the three LDR prohibitions described above,
unless the waste generated is at concentrations already
below the LDR treatment standards. If a business gen-
erates hazardous wastes that are above the LDR treat-
ment standards, it must either treat the wastes on site
before having them disposed of, or
send them off site for proper treat-
ment and ultimate disposal. If the
hazardous waste meets the LDR
treatment standards, further treat-
ment is not necessary prior to dispos-
al. A generator must always inform
the receiving treatment, storage, and
disposal facility of the
status of the haz-
ardous waste and
ensure that it is han-
dled safely.
For More Information
For more information on the LDR program,
treatment standards or technologies, or on the
RCRA program in general, call the RCRA Hotline at
800 424-9346 or TDD (hearing impaired) 800
553-7672. In the Washington, DC, area, call 703
412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323. You also can
find more information on EPA's Web site at
.
-------
What Is Hazardous Waste?
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) uses
the term "hazardous waste" to
identify wastes that could be harmful to
human health and the environment. The
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) regulates waste as "hazardous" if it meets the RCRA definition of solid
waste (see box) and is specifically listed as hazardous or exhibits a
characteristic of hazardous waste.
What Is "Solid Waste"?
Solid waste is discarded material
including garbage, refuse, and
sludge, and can be solid, semisolid,
liquid, or contain gaseous materials.
Listed Wastes
A solid waste is regulated as hazardous if it is
included on specific EPA lists:
• Wastes from specific industry sectors, such
as certain petroleum refining wastes.
• Wastes from general industrial processes,
such as spent solvents used for cleaning or
degreasing.
• Discarded chemicals that are threatening to
human health in low doses, even when man-
aged properly.
Characteristic Wastes
A solid waste also is regulated as hazardous if
it exhibits one or more of the following charac-
teristics: catches fire readily, corrodes steel,
explodes readily, or has toxic constituents.
Exclusions
Some wastes that meet the RCRA definitions
of solid and hazardous wastes are specifically
excluded or exempted from the hazardous
waste regulations. For example, some oil and
gas exploration and mining wastes are exclud-
ed, as are some hazardous wastes that have
been recycled.
------- |