United States Solid Waste and EPA530-F-00-038
Environmental Protection Emergency Response November 2000
Agency (5305W) vwvw.epa.gov
Office of Solid Waste
vvEPA ENVIRONMENTAL
FACT SHEET
REGULATIONS TO BE REVISED FOR
ZINC FERTILIZER RECYCLING
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 's proposal to modify existing
regulations for zinc fertilizers made from recycled industrial wastes will
conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, and save money. These
provisions are expected to improve and increase legitimate zinc recycling, and
reduce contaminant levels in these types of fertilizers. While ensuring that
recycled zinc fertilizers are good, clean fertilizers, regulatory restrictions on this
industry will be streamlined. As a result of this action, industry should save
around seven million dollars.
Background
In 1997, the public and press-particularly in the Pacific Northwest-raised concerns about
the use of hazardous wastes to manufacture agricultural fertilizers and soil amendments. As
a result, EPA launched a major effort to assess hazardous contaminants in fertilizers, and to
reassess existing Agency regulations governing these recycling practices. The Agency found
that:
- With a few exceptions, fertilizers generally do not appear to contain contaminants
(such as lead, cadmium, or arsenic) at levels that present public health concerns.
- Most fertilizers are relatively "clean," so there is not an apparent need for EPA to
develop comprehensive new federal regulations for fertilizer products.
- The majority of fertilizers made from recycled hazardous wastes are zinc
micronutrient fertilizers, which are applied sparingly to farmlands (typically, a few
pounds per acre a year), and are used to fertilize crops such as corn, potatoes, and fruit
trees.
- About half of all zinc fertilizers are made from hazardous industrial wastes (a practice
regulated by EPA), which can include the use of emission control dusts from electric
arc steel furnaces and brass foundries, as well as ash from energy recovery facilities
that burn tires. Zinc fertilizers can also be made from nonhazardous wastes and
"virgin" materials, such as ore concentrates.
EPAs studies of fertilizer contaminants also found that the current regulations covering
this kind of recycling need to be revised, for three main reasons: (1)
the current EPA standards for contaminants in these types of fertilizer products are applied
inconsistently, allowing exemptions for certain recycled zinc fertilizers with relatively high
contaminant levels; (2) legitimate recycling of hazardous waste into fertilizers is currently
hampered by unnecessary regulatory restrictions; and (3) existing standards for
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contaminants in hazardous waste-derived fertilizers can and should be tightened to reflect
levels that industry can achieve through demonstrated, affordable, sound manufacturing
practices.
Action
The Agency is proposing to make zinc-bearing industrial waste recycling simpler and
more consistent by using a common-sense regulatory approach. In summary, this
proposal will:
! Make current regulations stronger and more consistent by making all hazardous
waste derived fertilizers meet stringent contaminant standards (including fertilizers
made from electric-arc furnace dust, or K061, which are now exempt from the
standards).
! Limit hazardous metals in recycled zinc fertilizers by setting standards based on
demonstrated good manufacturing practices, and by setting a standard for dioxins
based on "background" levels in soils. The overall result will be to reduce the volumes
of contaminants-particularly heavy metals-that are applied to the nation's farmlands
from hazardous waste-derived zinc fertilizers.
! Impose more appropriate management controls on waste materials used in zinc
fertilizer recycling. The proposal will better define "legitimate recycling" for zinc
fertilizers, and will streamline and strengthen existing regulatory controls over the
management of hazardous wastes used as feedstocks in zinc fertilizer manufacturing.
The proposal also discusses the prospect of removing the current exemption for certain
mining wastes that exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic and that are used to make
fertilizer products.
State vs. Federal Role
Virtually all states have regulatory programs for fertilizers, which are administered by
state agricultural agencies primarily to ensure that fertilizers meet the manufacturers' plant
nutrient claims, and that they are accurately classified and labeled. Some states, such as the
state of Washington, have recently begun to regulate contaminant levels in nearly all
fertilizers and soil amendment products. Since EPA regulates contaminants in only a very
small percentage of the fertilizers currently on the market (perhaps as little as one percent or
less), the Agency supports and encourages these state efforts.
For More Information
The Federal Register notice, this fact sheet, and other documents related to this action are
available in electronic format on the Internet at . For additional information or to order
paper copies of any documents, call the RCRA Hotline. 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. The RCRA Hotline operates
weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Address written requests to: rcra-docket@epa.gov or RCRA
Information Center (5305W), US EPA, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20460-0002.
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