United States April 1985
Environmental Protection EPA/530-SW-85-008
Agency I
Washington DC 20460 £ , ]
v°/EPA Highlights of
the Hazardous
and Solid Waste
Amendments of
1984
The New RCRA
Requirements
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1985556-514/8690
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On November 8, 1984, amendments were enacted
strengthening the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law protecting
human health and the environment from the
improper management of hazardous waste. This
new legislationthe Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments of 1984makes many changes in the
national program that regulates hazardous waste
from the time it is generated to its final disposition.
The program is administered by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its
Office of Solid Waste.
The new legislation makes major changes in the
program to:
Control leaking underground storage tanks.
There may be as many as 10 million tanks used to
store fuel, toxic chemicals, and waste in the United
States. Leaking tanks are a growing source of
ground-water contamination.
Control hazardous waste generated in quantities
between 100 and 1000 kilograms per month. The
inclusion of these small quantity generators will
increase the number of federally regulated
generators from about 15,000 to over 150,000.
Phase out the land disposal of hazardous waste.
In the future, waste generators will have to reduce
the amounts of hazardous waste generated, recycle
their waste, and use other treatment technologies
to the maximum extent possible.
Give EPA authority to develop new criteria for
facilities receiving nonhazardous solid waste
(municipal landfills) to ensure that these facilities
adequately protect human health and the
environment from ground-water contamination.
The following is a list of the new law's significant
provisions:
Immediate prohibition against certain land
disposal practices, (for example, placement of
liquids in landfills, salt bed formations, mines, and
caves; use of hazardous waste as a dust
suppressant; and certain types of injection of
hazardous waste).
Minimum technology requirements for hazardous
waste landfills, surface impoundments, and
incinerators (for example, installation of double
liners, systems for collecting leachate, and
ground-water monitoring).
Requirements for retrofitting certain existing
surface impoundments with liners.
Expanded requirements for monitoring and
cleanup of ground water at facilities holding
permits under RCRA.
Authority to clean up past releases of hazardous
wastes at RCRA-permitted facilities.
Authority to expedite permits for new and
innovative treatment technologies to foster research
and development.
Authority to impose permit conditions beyond the
scope of the existing RCRA regulations to protect
human health and the environment.
Requirements to identify additional hazardous
wastes.
A full assessment of the hazards posed by a waste
prior to delisting.
Enhanced federal enforcement authorities
(including the ability to issue "corrective action
orders" to facilities with Interim Status under
RCRA).
Requirements for thorough inspections of federal
and state hazardous waste facilities.
Specific controls on the burning and blending of
hazardous wastes as fuels.
Requirements for the regulation of used oil.
Tighter controls on the export of hazardous
waste.
A new program for identifying the health risks
presented by individual surface impoundments and
landfills.
New citizen rights under RCRA including
participation in the permitting process, legal
settlements, and involvement in legal actions where
past and present hazardous waste management
practices pose an "imminent and substantial
hazard."
While some of the provisions of the new law took
effect immediately, others depend upon the
timetable included in the law and EPA's
promulgation of regulations. In any case, the new
RCRA amendments will bring about major changes
in the future management of hazardous waste in
the United States.
"' r":'oto-;';on Agency
Agency
Chicago, ir;.''C::i
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