United States            Solid Waste and
             Environmental Protection      Emergency Response (OS-305)    EPA/530-SW-90-030
             Agency               Washington, DC 20460         July 1990

             Office of Solid Waste
£EPA
             Environmental
             Fact Sheet
             EPA PROPOSES MODIFICATIONS
             TO THE DEFINITION OF
             "WASTEWATER TREATMENT UNIT"
BACKGROUND
The wastewater treatment unit exclusion (45 FR 76074, November 17,
1980) exempts these units from both the standards for hazardous
waste management facilities and the permitting requirements of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Since the
promulgation of this exclusion, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has received numerous requests to determine if certain thermal
treatment devices meet the definition of "wastewater treatment unit"
and, therefore, currently do not require a RCRA permit.
ACTION
EPA is proposing to modify the definition of "wastewater treatment
unit" to clarify which devices are eligible for the exclusion. The revised
definition would specifically exclude devices using thermal treatment
processes (such as incinerators), with the exception of sludge dryers.
Sludge dryers have different purposes than other thermal treatment
sludge incinerators in that they are used to evaporate water rather
than to destroy waste.  Under this proposed action, sludge dryers
treating hazardous waste must meet the definition of wastewater
treatment unit in order to be exempt from regulation. EPA is also
proposing a definition for sludge dryers that will clearly distinguish
them from other types of thermal treatment units. The revised
definition would maintain EPA's long-standing policy that thermal
treatment units, with the exception of sludge dryers, must be
individually permitted under RCRA.

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 PUBLIC COMMENT
 EPA is requesting public comment on this proposed rule.  Comments
 should be submitted to EPA within 60 days of the Federal Register
 notice publication date. For instructions on submitting written
 comments, please see the Federal Register notice.  It is available for
 free by calling the RCRA Hotline or by going to EPAs RCRA Docket in
 Washington, DC.


 CONTACT
 For further information, or to order a copy of the Federal Register
 notice, please call the RCRA Hotline Monday through Friday 8*30
 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST.  The national toll-free number is (800) 424-
 9346; for the hearing impaired, it is (TDD) (800)  553-7672. In Wash-
ington, D.C., the number is (202) 382-3000 or TDD (202) 475-9652
Or write to the RCRA Information Center (OS-305) U S EPA, 401 M
Street SW, Washington, DC 20460.

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