Wood  Preserving
 Industry Overview
   Not all wood preserving operations produce hazardous waste.
 If, however, you use arsenical compounds, pentachlorophenol, or
 creosote, you are probably subject to Resource Conservation and
 Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements covering the generation,
 transportation, and management of hazardous waste.

   Wood preservation involves two general steps: pretreatment
 (reducing the moisture content of the wood) and preservation
 (permeating the wood with a preserving agent). A typical wood
 preserving operation uses any of the following processes:
 steaming, inorganic salt treatment, boultonizing, or kiln or air
 drying utilizing one or more of the three principal wood
 preserving agents:

     • Creosote
     • Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
     • Inorganic arsenical compounds (CCA - Chromated
      Copper Arsenate or ACA -Ammoniacal Copper
      Arsenate).
 Hazardous Wastes
 from Wood  Preserving
   The wastewater treatment sludge generated from wood
 preserving processes that use creosote and/or pentachlorophenol is
 listed by EPA as a hazardous waste. EPA might list additional
 wood preserving wastes in the future. Waste from using inorganic
 arsenicals is frequently a hazardous waste if it contains either
 chromium or arsenic at levels high enough to fail the Toxicity
 Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). Other wastes from
 wood preserving operations might fail the TCLP test if they
 contain high levels of creosols, phenol, or pentachlorophenol.

   Table 1 lists general operations/processes that use hazardous
 materials and that might generate hazardous waste. If you generate
 100 kilograms (220 pounds or about half of a 55-gallon drum) or
 more of hazardous waste per month, you must fill out a Uniform
 Hazardous Waste Manifest when you ship the hazardous waste off
 your property. The Manifest requires the proper Department of
 Transportation (DOT) description for each waste. Table 2 lists
 proper DOT shipping descriptions for a number of wastes that
 might be generated during wood preserving. Table 1 and Table 2
 are not comprehensive lists. If you suspect you generate other
 hazardous wastes, contact your state hazardous waste management
 agency or EPA Regional office for assistance.


 Waste Minimization
   An effective waste minimization program can reduce the costs,
 liabilities, and regulatory burdens of hazardous waste
management, while potentially enhancing efficiency, product
quality, and community relations. Waste minimization techniques
that can help you reduce the amount of hazardous waste that you
generate include:

    • Production planning and sequencing
    • Process/equipment adjustment or modification
    • Raw material substitution
    • Loss prevention and housekeeping
    • Waste segregation and separation
    • Recycling.

   Training and supervision of employees implementing waste
minimization techniques is an important part of your successful
program. Call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline toll-free at 800-424-
9346 (or TDD 800-553-7672 for the hearing-impaired) for waste
minimization information and publications.

                        Table 1
            Typical Wood Preserving Operations:
     Materials Used and Hazardous Wastes that Might be
                        Generated
Process/
Operation
Steam
Preconditioning






Boulton Precon-
ditioning





Inorganic Salt
Treatment



Non-pressure
Treatment
Preservation
(with air or kiln
drying)
Materials
Used
Organic
solvents,
preservatives





Preservatives






Inorganic
salts,
preservatives


Preservatives




Typical Material
Ingredient
Pentachlorophenol,
xylol, stoddard
solvent, arsenic,
creosote




Pentachlorophenol,
arsenic, creosote





Arsenic, borates,
ammonium
compounds


Arsenic, chromium,
chromated copper
arsenate (CCA),
creosote

General Types
of Waste
Generated
Wastewater
treatment
sludges
Toxic heavy
metal wastes
Solvent wastes
Toxic organic
wastes
Wastewater
treatment
sludges
Toxic heavy
metal wastes
Toxic organic
wastes
Wastewater
treatment
sludges
Toxic heavy
metal wastes
Toxic heavy
metal wastes
Toxic organic
wastes

EPA/530-SW-90-027f
                                                                                                Printed on recycled paper

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                                                  Table 2
                                 Wood Preserving  Waste Descriptions1
Waste Type Designations/Trade Names
WOOD PRESERVING WASTES CONTAINING:
Creosote
Cresols*
Penlaehlorophcnol*
Chromatcd Copper
Arscnate
Ammoniactl Copper
ArKimie
Other Wood Preserving
Wastes
DOT Shipping Name

Hazardous Waste, Liquid or Solid, NOS2
Waste Cresol
Waste Pentachlorophenol, Liquid or Solid
Waste Arsenical Compounds, Solids
Waste Arsenical Compounds, Liquids
Waste Arsenical Compounds, Solids
Waste Arsenical Compounds, Liquids
Hazardous Waste, Liquid or Solid, NOS
Hazard Class

ORM-E
Corrosive Material
ORM-E
Poison B
Poison B
Poison B
Poison B
ORM-E
UN/NA
ID Number

NA9189
UN2076
NA2020
UN1557
UN1556
UN1557
UN1556
NA9189
* Toxicity Characteristic constituent. Any waste that results in a TCLP extract containing a Toxicity Characteristic constituent equal tj6 or above regulatory
  levels is hazardous.

1 These descriptions may change given variations in waste characteristics and conditions. Note that the DOT shipping name, hazard class, and UN/NA ID
  number do not directly correspond to RCRA hazardous waste categories.

2 NOS — Not otherwise specified.
       For further information call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline  1-800-424-9346

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