Environmental Fact Sheet: Proposed Rule Aims to Promote Metals Recovery from Waste Water Treatment Sludge


               United States              Solid Waste and          EPA530-F-99-009
               Environmental Protection Agency   Emergency Response         February 1999
                                     (5305W)              http://www.epa.gov

               Office of Solid Waste
c/EPA    Environmental
               Fact  Sheet
               Proposed Rule Aims To Promote Metals

               Recovery from Waste Water Treatment

               Sludge (F006)

                  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a cleaner, cheaper,
               and smarter way for the Metal Finishing Industry to recycle F006 waste through
               metals recovery. While protecting human health and the environment, this proposal
               will minimize economic barriers to recycling waste water treatment sludge.

 Background
   EPA's Common Sense Initiative (CSI) provides a consensus-based, decision-
 making process for stakeholders from federal and state governments, public interest
 groups, and regulated industry. As part of this Initiative, this proposal provides a
 new opportunity for the Metal Finishing Industry to practice better environmental
 protection under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). It encourages
 the legitimate recovery of metals from F006 waste that would otherwise be land
 disposed. The hazardous waste water treatment sludge (i.e., the RCRA listed
 hazardous waste, F006) that is generated from the electroplating processes in the
 Metal Finishing Industry generally contains recoverable amounts of metals.
 Although some of the waste water treatment sludge is recycled for metals recovery, a
 large percentage of the waste is land-disposed. By minimizing economic barriers to
 recycling of F006 waste through metals recovery, generators of F006 waste are
 encouraged to choose metals recovery as their waste management option for F006
 waste.

 Action
   EPA is proposing to allow generators of F006 waste up to 180 days (or 270 days, if
 applicable) to accumulate F006 waste on site without a hazardous waste storage
 permit or interim status, provided that these generators meet certain conditions.
 Currently, these generators may accumulate this waste on site for up to 90 days. To
 accumulate F006 waste up to 180 days (or 270 days, if applicable), a generator of
 F006 waste must:  (1) have implemented pollution prevention practices that reduce
 the volume or toxicity of the F006 waste or that make it more amenable for metals
 recovery; (2) recycle the F006 by metals recovery; (3) accumulate no more than 16,000
 kilograms of F006 waste on site at any one time; and (4) comply with the applicable

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management standards, such as accumulation in tanks, containers, or containment
buildings, labeling and marking accumulation units, preparedness and prevention,
contingency plan and emergency procedures, personnel training, and waste analysis
and record keeping. (These management standards are the same as those that
currently apply to the 90-day on-site accumulation provisions in the existing
regulations.)

   The proposed rule would also allow generators of F006 waste to accumulate F006
waste up to 270 days without a hazardous waste storage permit or interim status,
provided that the generator complies with the conditions stated above, if they must
ship their F006 waste off site to a metals recovery facility that is located more than
200 miles away. The generator may also request additional accumulation time or
accumulation of F006 waste in  excess of 16,000 kilograms waste in the event of
unforeseen, temporary and uncontrollable circumstances.

   EPA believes that the proposed 180-day (270-day, if applicable) accumulation
time for F006 waste will increase the amount of F006 waste that is recycled, because
the longer accumulation time will mean that generators can send larger shipments of
F006 waste off site for metals recovery less often, thereby reducing transportation
costs associated with F006 waste recycling.  This proposal provides incentives to
promote metals recovery from F006 waste rather than treatment and land disposal of
F006 waste, and also includes safeguards to insure that F006 waste is managed in a
manner that is protective of human health and the environment. Thus, EPA believes
that this proposed rule is consistent with RCRA's national objective of "minimizing
the generation of hazardous waste and the land disposal of hazardous waste by
encouraging process substitution, materials  recovery, and properly conducted
recycling and reuse, and treatment."

For More Information
   This Federal Register notice and this fact sheet are available in electronic format
on the Internet. The notice is available at http://epa.gov/fedregstr/fdate of
publication]. The fact sheet and other documents related to this rule are at
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/gener/f006acum.htm. For additional
information or to order paper copies of any documents, call the RCRA/Superfund
Hotline at (800) 424-9346 (toll free) or (703)  412-9810 in the Washington, B.C.
metropolitan area. The RCRA/Superfund  Hotline operates weekdays (except federal
holidays) from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Additional information may also be requested by
writing to the RCRA Information Center, U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency, 401
M Street, S.W., Washington, B.C. 20460.

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