United State*
              Environmental Protection
              Agency
Off ice of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
     £EPA
                DIRECTIVE NUMBER: 9441.02(80)

                TITLE: Agricultural Waste Exclusion

                                 •

                APPROVAL DATE: s-19-80

                EFFECTIVE DATE: a-19-80

                ORIGINATING OFFICE: osw

                O FINAL

                D DRAFT

                 LEVEL OF DRAFT

                   D A — Signed by AA or DAA
                   D B — Signed by Office Director
                   D C — Review & Comment

                REFERENCE (other documents):
  OSWER      OSWER      OSWER
VE    DIRECTIVE   DIRECTIVE   Dl

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*ART 261  SUBPART A - GENERAL
                                                DOC:   9441.02(80)
Key Words:

Regulations:

Subject:

Addressee:

Originator:

Source Doc:

Date:

Summary:
Agricultural Waste

40 CFR 257.1(c)(l), 261(4)(b)(2)

Agricultural Waste Exclusion

Dr. William Connors, Public Information Office

John Skinner, Director,  State Programs & Resource Recovery Division

#9441.02(^5-)

8-19-80
     Pursuant to §257.1(c)(l) agricultural wastes including manures and crop
residues returned to the soil as fertilizers or soil conditioners are excluded
from the list of regulated waste.  Food processing waste is deemed by EPA to be
either commercial or industrial waste and hence is not included in the agricul-.
tural waste exclusion.  The exemption is more precisely stated at §261.4(b)(2).

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                                                           9441.02 (80)
 AUG t 9  13CO

Dr. William Connors
Public Intcrvenors Office
114 E. State Capitol
Madison, Wisconsin  ^3702

Dear Dr. Connors:

     This is, in response to your telephone conversation of
flay 30 with Susan Absher of the EPA Office of Solid Waste.
You asked about EPA's interpretation of the agricultural
waste exclusion of 40 CFR Part 257.

     The agricultural waste exclusion in Part 257.1 (c)(l)
reads:

     "The criteria do not apply to agricultural wastes,
      including manures and crop residues, returned to
      the soil as fertilizers or soil conditioners."

     This exclusion stems from tho Elouse Report (H.R. Rep.
MO. 94-1401, 94th Conn., 2nd session (1976) which states
that "agricultural wastes which are returned to the soil as
fertilizers or soil conditioners..." (are not'tneant to be
covered by the program).  The relevant page of the report
is attached.

     You specifically asked whether EPA intended food
processing wastes which are land spread to come under the
agricultural waste exclusion.  EPA intended the exclusion
to apply mainly to manures and crop residues used to- enhance
the quality of the land.  In general, EPA considers food
processing waste to be commercial or industrial waste and
not to come under the agricultural waste exclusion. '-Where
large quantities of food processing 'wastes are land spread,
this procedure can have adverse environmental effects.


      (WH-563)Susan/kw/x59145/2624/0-14-80

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       Plenso  let  p.e v.nn-v  ic  I  nay b- of  fi-irthcr assistance.
                      P.i ro--.:tor,  v.
                      ?.ecource Recovery  O.ivir-iion
Attachnent

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