oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
July 2002
EPA530-F-02-038
www.epa.gov/osw
BETTER RULES FOR ZINC
FERTILIZER RECYCLING
        The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is improving regulatory controls on the
    practice of recycling zinc in hazardous waste to make micronutrient fertilizers. While
    ensuring that recycled zinc fertilizers are clean, high quality products, EPA is streamlining
    regulatory restrictions on this industry to encourage beneficial recycling of zinc resources.
    EPA believes this action strikes a good balance by strengthening environmental protec-
    tions; increasing industry accountability; and providing incentives for safe, legitimate
    recycling. These regulations will conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, and save
    money.

    Background
        In response to recent public concerns regarding the use of hazardous waste to make
    agricultural fertilizers, EPA has taken a careful look at how hazardous waste is used by the
    fertilizer industry; the types of contaminants that  may occur in fertilizer products; and the
    potential risks from exposure to contaminants found in a wide variety of fertilizers. At the
    same time, the  Agency has been working to update and strengthen its existing regulations
    that apply to the use of zinc-bearing hazardous waste to make fertilizers.
        EPA's studies concluded that fertilizers are generally safe.  The Agency has  not found
    evidence of widespread, illegal "sham" recycling  of hazardous waste in the fertilizer
    industry. EPA has found that, by volume, fertilizers made from recycled hazardous waste
    account for less than one-half of one percent of the total fertilizer market in this country.
    Nearly all  fertilizers made from hazardous waste ingredients are zinc micronutrient
    fertilizers, which  farmers usually blend in small amounts with other fertilizers to grow
    crops such as corn, rice, potatoes, and fruit trees.
        When  done properly, recycling of  zinc-bearing hazardous waste to make fertilizers is
    both safe and environmentally beneficial-conserving resources and preventing pollution.
    Modern technologies process and  filter out contaminants from zinc-bearing waste
    materials, producing clean, high-quality zinc fertilizers. Wastes, such as pollution control
    dusts from brass foundries and brass fabricators,  are most often used for this purpose.
    Demand for lower quality  fertilizers made from steelmaking dusts, known by waste code
    K061, has been steadily declining.

    Action
        Specifically, this regulation:

        •  Sets stricter limits on contaminants in  zinc fertilizers made from recycled
           hazardous wastes and secondary materials.  The new limits on heavy metals (lead,
           cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and chromium)  are based on the purity levels that can
           be achieved with modern production techniques. The rule  also sets a limit on

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        dioxins of eight parts per trillion, which is the average "background" level of
        dioxins in soils in this country.
    !    Requires  that zinc oxysulfate fertilizers made from K061, which were previously
        exempt from regulation, meet contaminant standards. This type  of fertilizer will be
        phased out of production because it cannot meet the contaminant limits.
    !    Enhances accountability by industry and ensures safe management of recyclable
        materials, through a new system of testing, reporting, record keeping, and
        prescribed storage and handling practices.  This system replaces  the previous set of
        hazardous waste  regulations, which often discouraged safe, legitimate recycling of
        zinc resources. The previous regulations also provided only limited  information to
        regulators and the public as to how this recycling industry operates.  EPA expects
        these streamlined regulations to lower costs for industry, and consequently, lower
        prices to  farmers for zinc fertilizers.

For More Information
    This fact sheet, the Federal Register notice, and  other documents related to this action
are generally available on the Internet when the rule  is published. See: . For additional information,
contact the RCRA Call Center.  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.

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