Pagel.
United States Solid Waste and EPA530-F-99-045
Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Response November 1999
(5305W) http://www.epa.gov
Office of Solid Waste
Environmental
Fact Sheet
Proposed Rule for Storage, Treatment,
Transportation, and Disposal of Mixed
Waste
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to amend its regulations
under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to provide
a conditional exemption from certain requirements for eligible mixed waste. EPA is
requesting public comments on this proposed action.
Background
Mixed waste is a radioactive RCRA hazardous waste. It is regulated under two
authorities: 1) the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as
implemented by EPA or authorized states for the hazardous waste component; and
2) the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), for the radiological
component as implemented by either the Department of Energy (DOE), or the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or its Agreement States.
Summary
The focus of this proposal is to provide flexibility under RCRA Subtitle C to
generators of eligible mixed waste. We are proposing a conditional exemption from
the definition of hazardous waste applicable to: low-level mixed waste (LLMW) for
storage; and LLMW or Naturally Occurring and/or Accelerator-produced Radioactive
Material (NARM) for transportation and disposal. The proposal is expected to reduce
dual regulation for generators in the management and disposal of their wastes. This'
flexibility will enable generators of LLMW who are licensed by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) to claim an exemption for storing and treating these
wastes in tanks or containers (using solidification, neutralization, or other
stabilization processes) without a RCRA permit. This proposal will also provide
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flexibility for the manifesting, transportation and disposal of eligible mixed waste.
Waste meeting the proposed conditions will be exempted from certain RCRA
Subtitle C hazardous waste requirements and managed as radioactive waste in
accordance with NRC regulations.
For More Information
The Federal Register Notice and this fact sheet are available in electronic format
on the Internet at . To order copies of
this document, call the RCRA Hotline, weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Callers
within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial 703-412-9810 or TDD
703-412-3323 (hearing impaired). Long-distance callers may call 1-800-424-9346 or
TDD 1-800-553-7672. Write to the RCRA Information Center (5305W), US EPA,
401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460. Address e-mail to
rcra-docket@epamail.epa.gov.
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