August, 1997
Executive Summary
The National Biennial RCRA
Hazardous Waste Report
(Based on 1995 Data)
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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 The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste
Report (Based on 1995 Data) is to communicate the findings of EPA's 1995 Biennial Reporting
System (BRS) data collection efforts to the public, government agencies, and the regulated
community.2 The Report consists of six volumes:
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: A two-page overview 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 1995; 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 1995.
1The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Navajo Nation, the Trust Territories, and the Virgin
Islands, in addition to the 50 United States.
2Some respondents from the State of Georgia have submitted Confidential Business Information (CBI) pursuant to ยง40 CFR 260.2(b).
While not included in any public BRS database, CBI has been incorporated into the Executive Summary and National Analysis volumes
of this Report wherever possible. Where CBI has been omitted from these volumes, a footnote has been provided.
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1995 Data
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE
Throughout this Report, the term RCRA hazardous waste refers to solid waste assigned a
Federal hazardous waste code and regulated by RCRA, either because it was managed in a unit
subject to RCRA permitting standards or because it was shipped and subject to RCRA
transportation requirements. Individual States may choose to regulate additional wastes not
identified as hazardous by EPA. Hazardous wastes assigned only a State hazardous waste code
are not included in this Report. Similarly, hazardous wastes managed only in units subject to
State permitting standards, or wastes that are managed only in units exempt from RCRA
permitting standards, are not included in this Report.
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION
RCRA hazardous waste generation information is obtained from data reported by RCRA
large quantity generators (LQGs). The RCRA hazardous waste generation quantities in this
Report are limited to generation quantities that are managed in units subject to RCRA permitting
standards. All hazardous waste generation reported to be managed
on-site in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted by
the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), is excluded from the RCRA
generation quantities provided in this Report. Although some off-site shipments of hazardous
waste may ultimately be managed in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, this
determination cannot be made from information reported by the generator. Therefore, all
hazardous waste generation shipped off-site is included in the RCRA generation quantities
provided in this Report.
Hazardous waste generators are included in this Report if they identified themselves as
an LOG. It is important to note that the LQGs identified in this Report have been included on the
basis of the best available and most current information provided electronically to EPA by the
States. Both EPA and the States have made significant efforts to ensure the accuracy of these
data. However, the LOG counts may include some generators that, when determining whether
they were LQGs, used a lower State-defined threshold for LQGs, counted wastes regulated only
by their States, or counted wastes that are exempt from Federal regulation.
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Executive Summary
A generator was defined as a Federal large quantity generator in 1995 if it met or
exceeded any one of the following Federal criteria:
o The generator generated in any single month 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds 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 pounds) of RCRA acute hazardous waste; or
o The generator generated, or accumulated at any time, more than 100 kg (220
pounds) of spill cleanup material contaminated with RCRA acute hazardous
waste.
In 1995, 20,873 LQGs produced 214 million tons of hazardous waste regulated by RCRA.
This is a decrease of 3,489 LQGs and a decrease of 44 million tons of waste compared to 1993.
As identified in Exhibit 1, the five (5) States whose LQGs generated the largest amount of
hazardous waste were Texas (69 million tons), Tennessee (39 million tons), Louisiana (17 million
tons), Michigan (13 million tons), and Illinois (13 million tons). Together, the LQGs in these
States accounted for 70% of the national total waste generated.
Wastewater generation is identified in BRS by the use of certain form codes, or by waste
management in units typically associated with wastewater management (i.e., management in
aqueous treatment units, neutralization tanks, underground injection wells, or other wastewater
management systems). See Chapter 1, Waste Generation, of the National Analysis, for a list of
the form codes and system type codes used to identify wastewater. (A complete list of system
type codes can be found in Appendix A of the National Analysis, and a complete list of form
codes can be found in Appendix B of the National Analysis.) In 1995, wastewater generation
accounted for 95% of the national generation total, while in 1993, wastewater generation
accounted for 92% percent of the national generation total.
Overall, total hazardous waste generation decreased from 258 million tons in 1993 to 214
million tons in 1995. Wastewater generation decreased from 237 million tons in 1993 to 202
million tons in 1995, and non-wastewater generation decreased from 22 million tons in 1993 to
over 11 million tons in 1995.
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1995 Data
In comparing 1995 data with those of earlier Reports, 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 to D043) and required
more stringent analytical tests for the presence of toxic constituents in waste. For 1995, these
codes captured, at a minimum, 63 million tons of wastes not regulated before 1990. An
additional 42 million tons were described by D018 to D043 when mixed with other waste codes.
This suggests that, in 1995, the newtoxicity characteristic wastes captured as much as 105
million tons of wastes not regulated before 1990. In contrast, the 1993 data reported as much as
135 million tons of waste not regulated before 1990.
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
RCRA hazardous waste management information is obtained from data reported by
RCRA treatment, storage, or disposal facilities (TSDs). The RCRA hazardous waste
management quantities in this Report are limited to waste that was received or generated by a
reporting TSD and managed at the reporting TSD in treatment units subject to RCRA permitting
standards. All hazardous wastes either received for transfer shipment or managed at a
reporting TSD in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems
permitted by the NPDES, are excluded from the RCRA management quantities provided in this
Report.
Note that the total quantity of RCRA hazardous waste generation does not equal the total
quantity of hazardous waste management. Some of the reasons for this variance include: off-
year generation (generation that occurred at the end of a non-biennial reporting year, but was
shipped off-site for management during a reporting year) and wastes received for management
from generators in foreign countries.
In 1995, 1,983 TSDs subject to RCRA permitting standards managed 208 million tons of
hazardous waste. This represents a 601 facility decrease in the number of TSDs and a 27
million ton decrease in the amount of waste managed as compared to 1993. As identified in
Exhibit 2, the five (5) States whose TSDs managed the largest quantities of hazardous wastes
were Texas (75 million tons), Tennessee (39 million tons), Louisiana (18 million tons), Michigan
(14 million tons), and California (14 million tons). Together, the TSDs in these States accounted
for 77% of the national total waste managed.
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Executive Summary
Wastewater management is identified in BRS by the use of certain form codes or by
waste management in units typically associated with wastewater management (i.e., management
in aqueous treatment units, neutralization tanks, underground injection wells, or other wastewater
management systems). See Chapter 2, Waste Management, of the National Analysis, for a list
of the form codes and system type codes used to identify wastewater. (A complete list of system
type codes can be found in Appendix A of the National Analysis, and a complete list of form
codes can be found in Appendix B of the National Analysis.) In 1995, wastewater management
accounted for 95% of the national management total, while in 1993 wastewater management
accounted for 94% of the national management total.
Overall, total hazardous waste management decreased from 235 million tons in 1993 to
208 million tons in 1995. Wastewater management decreased from 220 million tons in 1993 to
198 million tons in 1995, and non-wastewater management decreased from 15 million tons in
1993 to 10 million tons in 1995.
The majority (73%) of the waste managed in the nation was managed in aqueous
treatment units. Aqueous treatment units consist of:
Aqueous Organic Treatment Units 117 million tons
Aqueous Organic and Inorganic Treatment Units 28 million tons
Aqueous Inorganic Treatment Units 8 million tons
Land disposal accounted for 12.3% of the national management total. Land disposal
units include:
Deepwell/Underground Injection 24 million tons
Landfill 1 million tons
Surface Impoundment 575 thousand tons
Land Treatment/Application/Farming 11 thousand tons
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1995 Data
Thermal treatment accounted for 3% of the national management total. Thermal
treatment units are:
Incineration 4 million tons
Energy Recovery (Reuse as Fuel) 2 million tons
Recovery operations accounted for 1.8% of the national management total. Recovery
operations include:
Fuel Blending 2 million tons
Metals Recovery (for Reuse) 610 thousand tons
Other Recovery 422 thousand tons
Solvents Recovery 356 thousand tons
The remaining management quantities (9.6%) were from other treatment and disposal
units:
Other Treatment 18 million tons
Stabilization 1 million tons
Other Disposal (specified in comments) 663 thousand tons
Sludge Treatment 481 thousand tons
RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE SHIPMENTS AND RECEIPTS
RCRA hazardous waste shipment information is obtained from data reported by both
RCRA LQGs and RCRA TSDs. RCRA hazardous waste shipment quantities include all RCRA
waste shipments reported by RCRA LQGs and TSDs. Although some off-site shipments may
ultimately be managed in treatment units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, this
determination cannot be made from information reported by the shipper. Therefore, the
shipment quantities provided in this Report may include some waste that is ultimately managed
in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards. In some instances, reported waste shipments
are actually the movement of wastes across contiguous physical locations that are regulated
under different EPA identification numbers. These waste transfers are correctly reported as
shipments and cannot be distinguished from transport shipments based on the information
reported.
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Executive Summary
RCRA hazardous waste receipt information is obtained from data reported by RCRA
TSDs. RCRA hazardous waste receipt quantities are limited to waste reported by a receiving
TSD as either received for transfer or received and managed at the reporting TSD in units
subject to RCRA permitting standards. Received wastes managed at the reporting TSD in units
exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted by the NPDES,
are excluded from receipt quantities provided in this Report.
Limitations in the reported information prevents the direct comparison of shipment and
receipt quantities. Hazardous waste shipment quantities may include hazardous waste
shipments that are ultimately managed by the receiver in units exempt from RCRA permitting
standards. Hazardous waste receipt quantities exclude waste managed in units exempt from
RCRA permitting standards. Therefore, hazardous waste shipment quantities can be expected
to exceed hazardous waste receipt quantities because exempt waste may be included in
shipment quantities and excluded from receipt quantities. Exempt waste reporting will be
eliminated beginning with the 1997 biennial reporting cycle. This change should mitigate this
discrepancy in future reports.
RCRA hazardous waste exports are waste shipments where the destination is a different
State from the State in which the waste was generated. Exports are calculated from information
provided by waste shippers. RCRA hazardous waste imports are waste receipts where the
waste originated in another State. RCRA hazardous waste imports are calculated from
information provided by RCRA TSDs.
In 1995, 20,497 shippers reported shipping a total of 10.7 million tons of hazardous
waste. This is a decrease of 3,467 shippers and a decrease of 6.7 million tons of hazardous
waste that was shipped as compared to 1993. The States whose shippers reported shipping (in
or out of State) the largest quantities of waste were Texas (2.4 million tons), California (1.3
million tons), Ohio (760 thousand tons), New York (650 thousand tons), and Michigan (510
thousand tons). Together the shippers in these States accounted for 53% of the total quantity of
hazardous waste shipped nationwide.
Nationwide, of the 10.7 million tons of hazardous waste shipped, 5.3 million tons
were exported to other States. This is a 1.5 million ton decrease compared with 1993.
The States whose shippers exported the largest amount of waste were California (1.1
million tons), Ohio (330 thousand tons), Pennsylvania (280 thousand tons), Texas (240
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1995 Data
thousand tons), and Illinois (230 thousand tons). Together the exports in these States accounted
for 41% of the national total of hazardous waste exports.
In 1995, 644 RCRA TSDs reported receiving 9.3 million tons of hazardous waste. This is
a decrease of 95 TSDs and an increase of 360 thousand tons of hazardous waste compared with
1993. The States whose receivers reported receiving the largest quantities of waste, from both
in or out of State, were Michigan (1.2 million tons), New Jersey (1.2 million tons), Texas (970
thousand tons), Ohio (700 thousand tons), and Nevada (650 thousand tons). Together, the
receivers in these States accounted for 50% of the national total of waste receipts.
Nationwide, of the 9.3 million tons of hazardous waste receipts, 5.9 million tons were
imported from other States. This is an increase of 1.7 million tons compared with 1993. The
States whose receivers reported importing the largest amount of waste were New Jersey (1.1
million tons), Michigan (820 thousand tons), Nevada (650 thousand tons), Ohio (440 thousand
tons), and Texas (280 thousand tons). Together the receivers in these States accounted for
56% of the national total of waste imports.
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Executive Summary
Exhibit 1 Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Generated and Number of Hazardous Waste Generators, by State, 1995
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
NAVAJO NATION
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEWYORK
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
CBI DATA
HAZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY
RANK
17
51
41
20
6
36
32
44
54
31
28
55
24
18
5
14
42
15
19
3
45
30
23
4
39
16
27
50
56
37
48
46
7
35
11
33
25
13
26
40
9
21
43
34
53
2
1
47
29
49
52
38
10
8
22
12
N/A
TOTAL
TONS
GENERATED
1 ,409,582
3,432
66,865
992,794
11,109,924
169,554
295,928
22,263
764
368,904
459,543
299
592,900
1 ,209,841
12,756,271
1 ,733,026
39,329
1 ,722,380
1,149,881
17,460,601
19,459
448,707
610,135
13,446,389
77,720
1 ,579,260
508,963
7,668
195
99,702
1 1 ,354
15,169
10,342,432
204,494
2,306,232
286,339
520,226
1 ,823,547
511,918
68,187
6,446,730
900,567
25,428
261,015
1,119
38,686,622
68,513,285
15,134
456,847
10,497
3,329
98,678
3,088,487
8,489,828
664,609
1,972,177
5,977
214,092,505
PERCENTAGE
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.5
5.2
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.2
0.0
0.3
0.6
6.0
0.8
0.0
0.8
0.5
8.2
0.0
0.2
0.3
6.3
0.0
0.7
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.8
0.1
1.1
0.1
0.2
0.9
0.2
0.0
3.0
0.4
0.0
0.1
0.0
18.1
32.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.4
4.0
0.3
0.9
N/A
100.0
LARGE QUANTITY GENERATORS
RANK
24
43
29
28
2
32
18
43
49
17
16
53
45
46
6
10
30
27
15
21
34
25
13
9
23
33
22
46
54
40
41
35
5
48
1
11
52
3
31
26
7
39
37
19
50
14
4
55
38
42
56
19
8
36
12
50
N/A
NUMBER
279
64
199
204
1,640
156
395
64
18
418
430
13
53
52
1,156
609
170
210
440
359
144
221
476
718
284
152
354
52
11
86
80
130
1,178
44
2,144
587
16
1,373
168
220
1,134
88
112
371
17
467
1,329
3
101
66
1
371
748
117
558
17
6
20,873
PERCENTAGE
1.3
0.3
1.0
1.0
7.9
0.7
1.9
0.3
0.1
2.0
2.1
0.1
0.3
0.2
5.5
2.9
0.8
1.0
2.1
1.7
0.7
1.1
2.3
3.4
1.4
0.7
1.7
0.2
0.1
0.4
0.4
0.6
5.6
0.2
10.3
2.8
0.1
6.6
0.8
1.1
5.4
0.4
0.5
1.8
0.1
2.2
6.4
0.0
0.5
0.3
0.0
1.8
3.6
0.6
2.7
0.1
N/A
100.0
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
Percentages do not include CBI data.
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National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Based on 1995 Data
Exhibit 2 Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Managed and Number of TSDs, by State, 1995
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
NAVAJO NATION
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEWYORK
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
CBI DATA
TOTAL
HAZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY1
RANK
16
35
43
18
5
30
33
46
54
32
26
53
49
17
9
14
42
11
37
3
47
27
44
4
34
15
25
48
56
38
20
54
6
31
23
28
22
12
21
36
8
19
40
29
51
2
1
45
24
52
50
39
13
7
41
10
N/A
TONS
MANAGED
1 ,247,637
141,610
1 1 ,029
1 ,000,465
13,631,078
191,047
154,729
2,004
0
161,763
348,359
0
476
1 ,240,434
3,274,425
1,486,318
12,061
1 ,761 ,658
123,709
17,633,877
1,780
201 ,744
7,288
14,381,917
153,657
1 ,446,886
437,962
1,368
0
113,395
650,032
0
10,979,933
188,444
509,446
199,439
518,043
1 ,754,399
563,381
137,302
6,314,049
836,505
29,806
191,309
1
38,675,221
75,074,857
2,980
461 ,970
0
20
51 ,995
1 ,577,079
8,395,116
17,492
1 ,970,452
4,088
208,272,032
PERCENTAGE
0.6
0.1
0.0
0.5
6.5
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.6
1.6
0.7
0.0
0.8
0.1
8.5
0.0
0.1
0.0
6.9
0.1
0.7
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.3
0.0
5.3
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.2
0.8
0.3
0.1
3.0
0.4
0.0
0.1
0.0
18.6
36.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.8
4.0
0.0
0.9
N/A
100.0
TSD FACILITIES
RANK
18
43
28
36
2
20
17
48
53
11
13
51
47
41
4
5
27
14
19
15
35
31
21
3
25
34
10
43
56
38
37
53
11
38
7
8
45
6
22
40
8
33
41
28
50
25
1
51
32
45
53
22
16
28
24
48
N/A
NUMBER
42
9
26
17
136
36
43
5
1
56
51
2
6
10
107
76
28
50
40
49
18
22
34
112
29
19
68
9
0
14
15
1
56
14
70
69
7
74
31
11
69
20
10
26
3
29
192
2
21
7
1
31
47
26
30
5
1
1,983
PERCENTAGE
2.1
0.5
1.3
0.9
6.9
1.8
2.2
0.3
0.1
2.8
2.6
0.1
0.3
0.5
5.4
3.8
1.4
2.5
2.0
2.5
0.9
1.1
1.7
5.7
1.5
1.0
3.4
0.5
0.0
0.7
0.8
0.1
2.8
0.7
3.5
3.5
0.4
3.7
1.6
0.6
3.5
1.0
0.5
1.3
0.2
1.5
9.7
0.1
1.1
0.4
0.1
1.6
2.4
1.3
1.5
0.3
N/A
100.0
'Quantity managed only by storage is excluded.
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
Percentages do not include CBI data.
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Executive Summary
WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All volumes of The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 1995
Data), as well as the 1995 Biennial Reporting System (BRS) database, can be obtained via the
Internet at: "http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/data/" or they can be purchased from the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at (703) 487-4650.
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