August, 1994
National Biennial
RCRA Hazardous Waste
Report (Based on 1991
Data)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the
States,1 biennially collects information regarding the generation, management, and final
disposition of hazardous wastes regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended. The purpose of this report is to communicate the findings
of EPA's 1991 Biennial Reporting System (BRS) data collection efforts to the public,
government agencies, and the regulated community.2 The report consists of six documents:
o Executive Summary-an overview of national hazardous waste generation and
management practices;
o National Analysis-a detailed look at waste handling practices in the EPA
regions, the states and at the largest facilities in the nation, including quantities
of generation, management, shipments and receipts, and interstate imports and
exports, as well as counts of generators and managers;
o State Summary Analysis-two-page overviews of the generation and
management practices of individual states;
o State Detail Analysis-a detailed look at each state's waste handling practices,
including overall totals for generation, management, and shipments and
receipts, as well as totals for the largest fifty facilities;
o List of Large Quantity Generators-identifies every hazardous waste generator
in the United States that reported itself to be a large quantity generator in 1991;
and
o List of Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities-identifies every hazardous
waste manager in the United States that reported itself to be a treatment,
storage or disposal facility in 1991.
1The term "state" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Trust Territories, and the Virgin Islands, in addition
to the 50 United States.
2BRS respondents have submitted Confidential Business Information (CBI) pursuant to 40 CFR 260.2(b). While not included
in any public BRS database, CBI has been incorporated into this report wherever possible. Where CBI has been omitted to
preserve confidentiality, a footnote has been provided.
ES-1
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1991 Data
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION
In 1991, 23,426 large quantity generators produced 306 million tons of hazardous
wastes regulated by RCRA.3 This is an increase of 3,000 generators and 108 million tons of
waste compared to 1989. As identified in Exhibit 1, the largest hazardous waste generating
states were Texas (104 million tons), Michigan (32 million tons), Louisiana (31 million tons),
and New Jersey (29 million tons). Together, these states accounted for 64% of the national
total.
In comparing 1991 and 1989 data, it is important to note that many new wastes were
captured by RCRA in 1990 with the promulgation of the Toxicity Characteristic (TC) Rule.
The TC Rule added 25 new hazardous waste codes (D018-D043) and required more stringent
analytical tests for the presence of toxic constituents in waste. These codes captured, at a
minimum, 137 million tons of previously unregulated wastes. An additional 25 million tons
were described by D018-D043 mixed with other waste codes. This suggests that the new
toxicity characteristic waste listings captured between 137 and 162 million tons of previously
non-regulated wastes. Excluding these newly regulated wastes, the amount of hazardous
waste generated in 1991 was between 29 and 54 million tons less than the 198 million tons
reported in 1989.
Hazardous waste generators are included in the "National Biennial RCRA Hazardous
Waste Report" if they identified themselves as large quantity generators. The following are
the federal criteria for being a large quantity generator:
o The generator generated in any single month 1,000 kg (2,200 Ibs. or 1.1 tons)
or more of RCRA hazardous waste; or
o The generator generated in any single month, or accumulated at any time, 1 kg
(2.2 Ibs) of RCRA acute hazardous waste; or
o The generator generated or accumulated at any time more than 100 kg (220
3This quantity only includes waste managed in treatment units subject to RCRA permitting standards or transportation
regulations. Hazardous waste managed in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted
by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), was not included in this report.
ES-2
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Executive Summary
Ibs) of spill cleanup material contaminated with RCRA acute hazardous waste.
According to these criteria, a generator that reports more than 13.2 tons (12 months x
1.1 tons) of annual hazardous waste generation must be a large quantity generator, because
the generator must have generated at least 1.1 tons in at least one month. A generator that
reports less than 13.2 tons in a year may not be a large quantity generator, because they may
have generated less than 1.1 tons in every month. Of the 23,426 generators that identified
themselves as large quantity generators, there are 14,190 generators that generated more
than 13.2 tons in 1991, 8,086 that generated between 1.1 and 13.2 tons, and 1,150 that
generated less than 1.1 tons.
It is important to note that the large quantity generators identified in this report have
been included on the basis of the best available and most current information provided
electronically to the EPA by the States. Both the EPA and the States have made significant
efforts to ensure the accuracy of these data. However, the large quantity generator counts
may include some generators that met lower, state-defined thresholds for large quantity
generators. The EPA and the States endeavor to control for variation in state programs, but it
is not always possible to distinguish generators that the federal threshold determines to be
large quantity generators from generators that a state threshold determines to be large
quantity generators. The EPA and the States also endeavor to ensure that only federally
regulated wastes are counted in the determination of federal large quantity generators, but the
large quantity generator counts may include generators that, when determining whether they
were large quantity generators, counted wastes regulated only by their states or wastes that
are exempt from federal regulation.
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
In 1991, 3,862 treatment, storage, or disposal facilities (TSDs) subject to RCRA
permitting standards managed 294 million tons of hazardous waste. This represents an 800
facility increase in the number of TSDs and a 98 million ton increase in the amount of waste
managed as compared to 1989. As identified in Exhibit 2, the states managing the largest
quantities of hazardous wastes were Texas (104 million tons), Michigan (32 million tons),
Louisiana (32 million tons), and New Jersey (30 million tons). Together, these states
accounted for 67% of the national management total.
ES-3
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1991 Data
The majority (76%) of the national total was managed in aqueous treatment units. One
hundred and thirty-two (132) million tons were managed in aqueous organic treatment units,
19 million tons in aqueous inorganic treatment units, and 74 million tons in both inorganic and
organic aqueous treatment units.
Land disposal accounts for 9.0% of the management total. Nationwide, 23 million tons
of hazardous wastes were disposed in underground injection wells, 1.7 million tons were
disposed in landfills, 240 thousand tons were managed in surface impoundments, and 52
thousand tons were managed by land application (land farming).
Recovery operations account for 2.2% of the national management total. Facilities
reported that 3.6 million tons were managed in solvent recovery units, 1.4 million tons were
managed in fuel blending units, 1.0 million tons were managed in metals recovery units, and
480 thousand tons were recovered by other methods such as acid regeneration, waste oil
recovery, and non-solvent organic recovery.
Thermal treatment accounts for 1.1% of the national management total. A total of 1.9
million tons were incinerated, while facilities reused 1.5 million tons as fuel in boilers or
industrial furnaces.
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE SHIPMENTS AND RECEIPTS
In 1991, 24,000 facilities reported shipping a total of 13 million tons of waste, of which
five million tons were shipped interstate. The states that shipped (in or out of state) the
largest quantities of wastes were Texas, Connecticut and Michigan. The states that received
the largest quantities of waste (from in or out of state) were California, Ohio and Michigan.
The largest net importers (imports minus exports) were Ohio (150 thousand tons), South
Carolina (127 thousand tons), and Kansas (110 thousand tons). The largest net exporters
(exports minus imports) were Massachusetts (197 thousand tons), California (136 thousand
tons), and Texas (131 thousand tons).
ES-4
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Executive Summary
Exhibit 1
Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Generated, and Number of Hazardous Waste Generators, by State,1991
STATE
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
GUAM
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
PUERTO RICO
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
TRUST TERRITORIES
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGIN ISLANDS
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
HA
RANK
27
42
34
23
8
30
15
43
53
28
22
55
51
12
7
19
37
13
29
3
46
39
32
2
11
9
24
47
40
48
44
4
35
5
31
25
16
20
36
18
14
45
26
52
17
1
49
21
41
54
38
6
10
33
50
TOTAL
ZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY
TONS
GENERATED
559,823
24,141
158,279
748,018
12,925,393
478,343
2,062,163
20,531
975
508,839
757,885
346
2,032
4,350,064
13,086,020
1 ,633,861
126,218
3,215,044
487,622
31,486,169
1 1 ,657
75,911
274,985
31,862,518
5,662,647
8,050,831
686,651
11,177
35,705
9,951
17,309
29,490,704
155,943
18,036,041
281 ,849
685,256
1 ,809,547
933,230
132,297
1 ,692,608
3,120,686
14,653
604,456
979
1 ,697,402
104,079,270
2,835
900,643
35,565
811
96,169
14,726,588
7,619,802
258,308
2.127
305.708.881
PERCENTAG
E
0.2
0.0
0.1
0.2
4.2
0.2
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.2
0.0
0.0
1.4
4.3
0.5
0.0
1.1
0.2
10.3
0.0
0.0
0.1
10.4
1.9
2.6
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
9.6
0.1
5.9
0.1
0.2
0.6
0.3
0.0
0.6
1.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.6
34.0
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.8
2.5
0.1
0.0
100.0
HAZA
RANK
23
45
26
34
2
35
15
43
52
18
18
53
48
47
7
11
32
29
16
22
32
17
14
9
24
28
20
46
40
41
30
3
42
1
13
51
4
31
27
6
39
37
21
50
10
5
54
38
43
55
25
8
36
12
49
RDOUS WASTE C
NUMBER OF
GENERATOR
S
277
58
249
149
2,116
146
483
63
11
399
399
8
35
40
1,229
671
155
177
465
309
155
430
552
755
276
178
389
54
86
71
166
1,661
68
2,627
582
16
1,542
161
191
1,264
97
107
337
21
683
1,394
3
99
63
1
264
939
120
607
28
23.426
ENERATORS
PERCENTAG
E
1.2
0.2
1.1
0.6
9.0
0.6
2.1
0.3
0.0
1.7
1.7
0.0
0.1
0.2
5.2
2.9
0.7
0.8
2.0
1.3
0.7
1.8
2.4
3.2
1.2
0.8
1.7
0.2
0.4
0.3
0.7
7.1
0.3
11.2
2.5
0.1
6.6
0.7
0.8
5.4
0.4
0.5
1.4
0.1
2.9
6.0
0.0
0.4
0.3
0.0
1.1
4.0
0.5
2.6
0.1
100.0
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
ES-5
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1991 Data
Exhibit 2 Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Managed and Number of TSDs, by State, 1991
STATE
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
GUAM
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
PUERTO RICO
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
TRUST TERRITORIES
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGIN ISLANDS
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY1
RANK
23
40
36
21
6
26
27
45
51
32
18
51
46
13
7
16
37
12
28
3
47
41
42
2
11
9
24
44
39
38
51
4
33
5
30
22
15
19
34
17
14
43
25
51
20
1
48
29
51
49
35
8
10
31
50
TOTAL
TONS
MANAGED
675,999
21,178
122,891
757,956
12,130,053
468,167
371 ,208
2,273
0
195,490
1,103,055
0
1,428
3,178,455
12,083,019
1 ,405,359
83,336
3,310,784
300,060
31 ,589,603
1,054
19,084
9,433
31 ,922,898
5,565,626
8,013,068
589,673
3,270
26,065
52,784
0
29,662,220
148,932
18,320,124
252,993
683,825
1 ,870,654
980,618
133,021
1 ,405,204
3,051 ,006
8,642
528,458
0
778,652
103,946,014
887
284,846
0
219
126,998
10,477,204
7,552,337
221 ,065
119
294.437.307
PERCENTAG
E
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.3
4.1
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.4
0.0
0.0
1.1
4.1
0.5
0.0
1.1
0.1
10.7
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.8
1.9
2.7
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.1
0.1
6.2
0.1
0.2
0.6
0.3
0.0
0.5
1.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.3
35.3
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.6
2.6
0.1
0.0
100.0
TSD FACILITIES
RANK
23
27
31
37
2
29
13
42
51
15
21
51
44
42
3
8
34
27
32
19
24
12
26
6
20
22
10
44
39
41
51
1
38
7
14
47
5
30
44
11
32
40
18
50
9
4
51
36
48
51
16
16
35
25
49
NUMBER
54
41
33
24
409
40
77
11
2
72
59
2
9
11
217
102
30
41
32
63
52
79
43
152
60
56
87
9
16
12
2
781
20
109
74
6
185
39
9
80
32
15
64
3
100
206
2
26
5
2
66
66
27
44
4
3.862
PERCENTAGE
1.4
1.1
0.9
0.6
10.6
1.0
2.0
0.3
0.1
1.9
1.5
0.1
0.2
0.3
5.6
2.6
0.8
1.1
0.8
1.6
1.3
2.0
1.1
3.9
1.6
1.5
2.3
0.2
0.4
0.3
0.1
20.2
0.5
2.8
1.9
0.2
4.8
1.0
0.2
2.1
0.8
0.4
1.7
0.1
2.6
5.3
0.1
0.7
0.1
0.1
1.7
1.7
0.7
1.1
0.1
100.0
'Quantity managed only by storage is excluded.
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Executive Summary
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
ES-7
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