&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
November 2003
EPA530-F-03-038
www.epa.gov/osw
                                    Ex-
                 the                  of
                            the
of                     For
      77)e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to modify the hazardous
   waste management system for industrial wipes that have been contaminated by hazardous
   solvents. The Agency believes that this proposal would improve clarity and consistency in
   the regulation of industrial wipes, provide regulatory relief, and save affected facilities over
   $30 million per year.

   Action

      The main provisions of EPA's proposal are (1) a conditional exclusion from the
   definition of hazardous waste for disposable industrial wipes contaminated with listed or
   characteristic solvents when they go to disposal, and (2) a conditional exclusion from the
   definition of solid waste for reusable industrial wipes contaminated with listed or charac-
   teristic solvents when they go to laundries or industrial dry cleaners to be cleaned and
   reused.

         EPAis requesting comment for 90 days following publication of this proposal in
   the Federal Register.

   Background

         Over three billion industrial wipes are used in conjunction with solvents annually in
   various industry sectors, including, but not limited to publishing, printing, and automobile
   manufacturing and maintenance. The proposed rule applies to both disposable and
   reusable industrial wipes used with solvents that are listed or characteristic when spent.
   EPA estimates that this rule would affect 68,000 to 163,000 facilities.

         Developed with input from and collaboration with many stakeholders, EPA's
   proposal would replace a policy from the early 1990s that deferred regulatory
   determinations regarding solvent-contaminated industrial wipes to the authorized state or
   the EPAregion implementing the regulations.

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For  IViore  information
   Thi s fact sheet and other information related to thi s proposal are available on the
Internet athttp://www. epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/dsw/abr.htm. For additional
information, or to order paper copies of any documents, call the RCRA Call Center.
Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area please dial 703 -412-9810 or TDD 703-
412-3323 (hearing impaired). Long-distance callers pi ease call 1-800-
424-9346 or TDD 1-800-553-7672. The RCRA Call Center operates weekdays, 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Address written requests to: RCRA-Docket@epa.gov or RCRA
Information Center (5305T),  1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20460-0001.

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