chap 15 Flashcards
CHAPTER 15 TITLE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
A. LISTED WASTE
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the U.S. governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste
LISTED WASTE
F-list
- From nonspecific sources or generic waste streams
K-list
- Fromspecificsources
P-list
- Acutelytoxichazardouswaste
U-list
- Commercial chemical products,
Was passed in 1975 to give the Department of Transportation (DOT) the authority to regulate the transportation of hazardous materials by air, waterways, rail, or highway
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA)
- Was passed in 1976 by the Congress to give broad powers to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the production and use of potentially hazardous chemicals and to ensure that new chemicals do not pose unreasonable hazards
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- Was passed in 1976 by Congress to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a program that would ‘‘protect human health and the environment from improper hazardous waste management’’
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
large companies producing more than 1000 kg of hazardous waste per month
Early regulations
Producers of between 100 - 1000 kg hazardous waste per month
Subsequent amendment
is something unwanted, usually a solid, liquid, or a contained gas.
It is the responsibility of the generator to determine if the waste is nonhazardous, hazardous, or acutely hazardous.
waste
EPA classifies waste as hazardous if, through improper handling, it can cause injury or death or can damage or pollute the environment.
Hazardous Waste
Section 40 CFR Part 261 – “Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste.’’
- Listed Waste
- Characteristic Waste
Characteristic Wastes / TCLP Wastes / D Wastes
● Ignitable wastes
● Corrosive wastes
● Reactive wastes
● Toxic characteristic wastes
Ignitable wastes - have a flash point lower than 140 degrees Fahrenheit
● Corrosive wastes - are acidic (at or below a pH of 2) or caustic (at or above 12.5 pH)
● Reactive wastes - produce violent results when mixed with water, air, or other chemicals
● Toxic characteristic wastes - contain specified percentages of specific metals, pesticides, or organic chemicals
Wastes that exhibit any one of the four (4) mentioned characteristics are referred to as characteristic wastes or TCLP wastes and are coded as D wastes.
● They are discovered by testing the waste stream with the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP).
● This test is used to determine the amount of chemical that would leach out into the groundwater under specific conditions.
TOXIC CHARACTERISTIC WASTES
● Once it has been determined the waste produced by a plant is hazardous, the facility becomes a hazardous waste generator.
● Total hazardous waste it generates per calendar month must be determined.
● The correct generator status is important because different regulations apply to each different status.
Determining Generator Status