Office of Solid Waste           August 1987
                                         Environmental Protection Agency
                                         Washington, D.C.

                                         EPA/530-SW-87-023
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                                                  RCRA INFORMATION CENTER
                                               U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                                                 OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE (WH-562)
                                                    401 M STREET, S.W.
                                                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
                                                      (202) 475-9327

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ADDITIONAL EPA SOURCES OF
HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE
INFORMATION

EPA Headquarters Library
Reference 202-382-5921
Library loan 202-475-7767
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST

Provides information on a wide range  of environ-
mental issues and maintains the "Hazardous Waste
Collection."

Hazardous Waste Ombudsman Program
Assists citizens and  the regulated community mem-
bers who have been unable to voice a complaint or
get problems resolved through normal channels in
coping with the complexities of the hazardous waste
and Superfund legislation. Each region has an om-
budsman representative. For more information and a
brochure,  call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline at the
number cited above. Or contact Bob Knox at 202-
475-9361.

Public Information Center (PIC)
202-382-2080
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Answers general inquiries about EPA programs and
activities through the distribution of a variety of gen-
eral, nontechnical information materials.
Small Business Hotline
National Toil-Free 800-368-5888
Washington D.C., Metro 703-557-1938
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Helps small businesses comply with environmental
laws and EPA regulations.
Superfund Docket
(202) 382-3046
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST

Provides information pertinentto Superfund rulemak-
ing.
Underground Storage Tanks Docket
202-475-9720
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Provides information  pertinent to  EPA's Under-
ground Storage Tank Program.

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SERVICES AVAILABLE THROUGH RIC
Hours and Location
The services listed below are available by writing,
calling, or visiting RIC between the hours of 9 a.m.
and 4p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. We recom-
mend that visitors first call RIC at 202-475-9327 or
FTS 475-9327 to schedule a visit to ensure that RIC
has the documents you need, that the documents are
ready when you arrive, and that RIC staff can provide
you with prompt attention. Send written inquiries to:

      RCRA Information Center
      Office of Solid Waste (WH-562)
      Environmental Protection Agency
      401 M Street, SW.
      Washington, D.C. 20460

RIC is located at the above address in the Waterside
Mall in Southwest Washington, D.C., in the lowerga-
rage  level.

Photocopying Documents
RIC visitors can photocopy documents for a nominal
per-page charge.
Viewing Documents
All RIC material is available for review during the
hours listed above, but again, scheduling a visit will
ensure  that the documents are ready when you
arrive.

Telephoning the RCRA/Superfund Hot-
line
Call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline Monday through
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST. The nationaJ toll-
free number is 800-424-9346; in Washington, D.C.,
the number is 202-382-3000.  The Hotline can pro-
vide  the following:
                                                                  Answers to technical questions about
                                                                  RCRA regulations and policies.

                                                                  Referrals for obtaining RCRA-related
                                                                  publications.

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RCRA INFORMATION CENTER (RIC)
Congress has authorized the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) to develop comprehensive regu-
lations to implement the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA), which protects human health
and the environment from improper hazardous waste
management. Congress greatly expandedthe scope
of RCRA with the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments (HSWA), and both EPA and the States
are now implementing the  Act's provisions.

Environmental policy and  guidelines are extremely
dynamic;  our environmental knowledge and needs
change.  New or sometimes unforeseen situations
emerge, and our environmental policy must adapt
and evolve.  And that is where RIC, the RCRA
Information Center, comes in. The Office of Program
Management and Support within the Office of Solid
Waste  (OSW) established RIC to  provide a cen-
tralized location  for tracking policy and guidance
documents; to enable EPA staff,  environmental or-
ganizations, and the general public access to public
rulemaking dockets; to  provide telephone, walk-in,
and written reference services; and to develop and
disseminate public information materials.

The RCRA Information Center includes the following;

     •     The RCRA  Regulatory Docket Sys-
            tem indexes and maintains all materi-
            als that are  pertinent to  each stage of
            rulemaking.

     •     The Public Information Dissemina-
            tion System maintains  a collection of
            current technical  and  nontechnical
            publications primarily originating from
            the EPA  Office of  Solid Waste; pub-
            lishes a semiannual  catalog that ex-
            plains  how to access  frequently-
            requested documents; and maintains
            the RCRA/Superfund Hotline to an-
            swer questions about the RCRA pro-
            gram and  respond  to  requests for
            documents.
PUBLICATIONS  AND
MAINTAINED BY RIC
DOCUMENTS
     •      RCRA Federal Register notices.

     •      Regulatory dockets. These include
            all material critical to each stage of rule
            development (for  instance,  back-
            ground and support documents).

     •      Delisting petitions. These are  peti-
            tions submitted to EPA by individual
            companies requesting that EPA allow
            them to manage their waste as  non-
            hazardous.

     •      Public comments on regulatory is-
            sues.

     •      Certified administrative  records.
            These are files of regulatory actions
            involved in litigation.

     •      OSW Documents in Demand Cata-
            log. This catalog provides information
            on how  to find frequently-requested
            documents. It is available by calling
            the RCRA/Superfund Hotline.

     •      Brochures, Booklets, Factsheets,
            and  Question and Answer Bulle-
            tins. These are publications that pro-
            vide  clear, general information about
            RCRA issues and regulations.

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