United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
and Waste Management
Washington DC 20460
June 1980
3d ed.,2d printing
SW-737
Hazardous Waste
Information
Hazardous
Waste Facts*
'Sources for the data in this
fact sheet are EPA's 1975-
78 industry studies and the
1979 draft Environmental
Impact Statement and Envi-
ronmental Impact Analysis.
Unavoidably generated in the production of many common materials
(metals, paints, plastics, pesticides, clothing, fertilizers^ medicines, etc.),
hazardous waste emerged in the late 1970's as a national health and environmenta:
concern. Agriculture, hospitals, laboratories, and governmental activities
also generate hazardous wastes.
The news media have frequently reported on how the mismanagement
of hazardous waste has damaged our land, water, and air. Just beginning
to surface is an awareness of the financial burden the nation must bear
for cleanup after those mistakes of the past. EPA studies indicate that
total cleanup of potentially dangerous abandoned or uncontrolled disposal
sites could cost as much as $44 billion. More important, but more difficult
to quantify, are the personal costs to people exposed to these wastes, directly
or indirectly.
Congress has provided an effective tool to help avoid repeating our
past mistakes in managing hazardous waste—the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), Public Law 94-580. Subtitle C of RCRA
gives EPA authority to develop a nationwide program to regulate hazardous
waste practices from "cradle to grave"—that is, from the time the waste
is generated to its final disposal. Each State is encouraged to develop its
own program, following EPA's guidelines. If the program meets RCRA's
requirements, it receives EPA approval. EPA is directed to carry out a
hazardous waste program in any State that has not received such approval
or chooses not to develop and operate its own program.
The major provisions under RCRA for controlling hazardous waste are:
• definition of hazardous waste
• a manifest system to track hazardous waste from its
generation to its final disposal
• standards for generators and transporters of hazardous
waste
• permit requirements for facilities that treat, store,
or dispose of hazardous waste
• requirements for State hazardous waste programs
Specific regulations for carrying out RCRA are set forth in the Code
of Federal Regulations (40 CFR Parts 260 to 266 and 122 to 124). The program
becomes effective 6 months following promulgation of the regulation identifying
and listing hazardous wastes (Part 261). A waste is defined as hazardous
in Part 261 if it is included in a list of waste sources, waste streams, and
some specific wastes that are hazardous or if it is ignitable, corrosive,
reactive, or toxic as determined by a specified extraction procedure (referred
to in the regulation as "extraction procedure toxicity").
The control system starts when anyone engaged in hazardous waste
activities notifies EPA, as required by section 3010 of RCRA. After receiving
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Quantities
notification, EPA assigns an identification number to the notifier. Anyone
who transports, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste who does
not notify EPA during the 90-day period following promulgation of the regulati
identifying hazardous wastes may not begin or continue operation until
an EPA identification number is assigned.
EPA estimates that in 1980 U.S. industry will generate about 57 million
metric tons (wet) of hazardous waste. About 34 million metric tons will
come from the chemical and allied products industry.
Industrial Hazardous Waste
Generator
Percent
Chemicals and allied products
Machinery (except electrical)
Primary metals
Paper and allied products
Fabricated metal products
Stone, clay, and glass products
All others
60
10
8
6
4
3
9
About 60 percent of hazardous waste is liquid or sludge.
Quantities of hazardous waste are expected to increase by about 3.5
percent annually. Much of this increase is attributed to sludge from equipment
required for air and water pollution controls.
Ten States generate 60 percent of all the hazardous waste. They are
(in order by volume): New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania,
Texas, New York, Michigan, Tennessee, and Indiana.
EPA estimates that 90 percent of hazardous waste is currently managed
by practices which will not meet new Federal standards.
EPA studies of industries that generate the major portion of hazardous
waste in the United States indicated that about 80 percent of these wastes
were disposed of on the generator's property, with generators using the
following disposal methods:
• nonsecure pits, ponds, lagoons, or landfills 80%
* incinerated without proper controls 10%
• managed acceptably as compared to proposed Federal standards—
that is, by controlled incineration, treatment to render the waste
nonhazardous or less hazardous, secure landfills, and recovery 10%
Environmental
Damage
and Cleanup
Major routes for environmental damage are:
1. ground-water contamination via leachate
2. surface-water contamination via runoff or overflow
3. air pollution via open burning, evaporation, sublimation, and wind erosion
4. fire and explosion
5. poison via the food chain
6. human contact
Extent of damage
A 1979 study by an EPA contractor indicated that 32,000 to 50,000
disposal sites may contain hazardous waste, and that from 1,200 to 2,000
of these sites could pose potential danger to health or the environment.
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Legal Authorities
Under section 7003 of RCRA, EPA can initiate legal action to require
responsible parties to clean up a site that presents an "imminent and substantial"
danger to health or the environment.
EPA is also using authorities under other acts it administers to respond
to immediate hazardous waste problems. These include the Clean Water Act,
the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and the
Refuse Act.
Federal
Regulations
EPA has prepared six regulations under Subtitle C of the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act:
RCRA
Section
Subject of Regulation
Final Regulation
1 The U S Department of
Transportation also pro-
posed amendments to its
hazardous materials trans-
portation regulations, which
were published in the Federal
Register. May 25, 1978
2 The regulations covering
permits for facilities and
State hazardous waste pro-
grams are integrated with
rules under the
Clean Water Act, the Safe
Drinking Water Act, and the
Clean Air Act
3001 Definition of Hazardous Waste
3002 Standards for Generators of
Hazardous Waste1
3003 Standards for Transporters of
Hazardous Waste1
3004 Standards for Hazardous Waste
Facilities (2 phases):
Preliminary facility standards
Technical design standards
3005 Permits for Treatment, Storage,
or Disposal Facilities2
3006 Guidelines for Development of
State Hazardous Waste Programs2
Spring 1980
February 26, 1980
February 26, 1980
Spring 1980
Fall 1980
Spring 1980
Spring 1980
Cradle-to-grave control of hazardous waste via manifests and reporting
is the keystone of the Federal regulatory program; only facilities with permits
may treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste.
EPA anticipates receiving as many as 300,000 notifications between
May and August 1980.
EPA and the States will issue an estimated 30,000 permits over the
next 5 to 6 years to those who store, treat, or dispose of hazardous waste.
Other EPA Acts related to hazardous waste controls:
• Clean Air Act—sets standards for hazardous air pollutants.
• Clean Water Act—prohibits discharge of pollutants in significant
amounts into navigable waters of the United States.
• Safe Drinking Water Act—authorizes EPA to set maximum contaminant
levels for public drinking water systems.
• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act—authorizes
EPA to regulate registration, treatment, disposal, and storage of
all pesticides, including labeling requirements.
• Toxic Substances Control Act—authorizes EPA to obtain data on
health effects of chemical substances and to regulate the manufacture,
use, and disposal of a chemical substance or mixture where warranted.
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Technology
Environmentally adequate technology is available for treatment and
disposal of hazardous waste. Costs vary widely among the different methods
and also according to type and volume of waste handled (reducing comparably
with larger quantities).
Disposal Method
Cost/Metric Ton
Secure chemical landfill
Incineration (land based)
Land treatment
Chemical fixation
Surface impoundment
Physical, chemical, biological treatment
$50-400
$75-2,000
$2-25
$5-500
$14-180
variable
Administrative and technical requirements under the Federal hazardous
waste regulations will lead to increased direct costs for controlling these
wastes; however, these costs will balance favorably against the astronomical
costs of cleaning up damage caused by mismanagement of hazardous waste.
A study of 23 industries made by EPA for an economic impact analysis
indicates that costs for new controls will come to $686 million annually.
This study covered 29,000 generators of 12.6 million metric tons of hazardous
waste. The annual cost of proper hazardous waste management will be
less than two-tenths of one percent of the sales of the industries studied,
which amounts to $3 per American citizen.
Waste exchanges help to diminish disposal costs. At least 20 industrial
waste exchanges are in operation in the United States. There are two types:
the materials exchange, which handles, treats, and physically exchanges
waste, and the information exchange, which serves only as a clearinghouse
for generators and potential purchasers.
State
Hazardous Waste
Programs
At the beginning of 1980, solid waste legislation in 40 States included
at least partial authority to control hazardous waste; many of these States
are upgrading their authority and are in the process of planning specific
hazardous waste legislation.
EPA anticipates that many of the 40 States having authority will
apply and may qualify for "interim authorization." With interim authorization,
States can operate their own programs for 2 years after the effective date
of the Federal regulations while upgrading their programs.
Within 2 years of promulgation of the final hazardous waste regulations,
States with interim authorization must apply for and secure "full authorization.1
The three main criteria for "full authorization" are: (1) equivalence to
Federal program, (2) consistency with other Federal and State programs,
and (3) adequacy of enforcement.
Fiscal year 1980 grants specifically for hazardous waste program
development total $18.6 million. The President's budget for FY 81 requests
$30 million.
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