Hazardous Waste Management Hazardous Waste is regulated according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Definition The material must first be classified as a solid waste The material must then be determined to have “hazardous” properties

Specific Definition

Exemptions

Specific Criteria for Hazardous Wastes A waste my classified as Hazardous by two criteria: 1) Listing 2) Characteristic

Listed Wastes Three Lists 1) Hazardous Waste from Non-specific Sources Wastes from common manufacturing processes example: dirty solvents cleaning or degreasing “F” designation “F001 2) Hazardous Waste from Specific Sources Wastes from specific industrial sources example: bottom sludge from the treatment of wastewater produced by the wood preserving industry “K” designation, K048-K052 petroleum refining wastes

3) Discarded commercial chemical products Off-specification materials, spill residues, discarded containers That contain certain named chemical species Actually two lists a) Toxic wastes “P” designation, P076 - nitric acid b) Acutely Toxic Wastes “U” designation, U002 - acetone

Characteristic Wastes There are four characteristics that can Make a waste a hazardous waste

Flashpoint < 60 C o Easily Ignited Burns Vigorously

Aqueous solution with: pH < 2.0 pH > 12.5 Corrodes steel at a rate Greater than 6.35 mm/yr

Unstable and forms a toxic fume Explodes Reacts with exposure to Air and/or water

Bioconcentrates LD < 50 mg/kg 50 LC 50 Phytoxicity

Where do wastes come from?

Classification of Generators Large Quantity Generators > 1000 kg hazardous waste generated per month Small Quantity Generators 100 – 1000 kg hazardous waste generated per month Very Small Quantity Generators < 100 kg/month