Lion News

12/24/2014

EPA’s New Definition of Solid Waste Rule

On December 10, 2014, US EPA signed a Final Rule to revise many of the recycling provisions associated with the “definition of solid waste” (DSW). The long-awaited Final Rule revises the exclusions from RCRA for recycled/recyclable hazardous secondary materials that were added to the hazardous waste regulations in 2008... 

12/23/2014

Reporting Releases under RCRA

Like many Federal environmental statutes, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sets requirements for reporting releases. Several RCRA regulations address reporting releases of hazardous waste. The specific reporting requirement(s) a hazardous waste generator is subject to depends on...

11/25/2014

Federal vs. State Hazardous Waste Classification

In the US, enforcing laws and regulations involves a balancing act between the Federal government and individual State governments. When it comes to hazardous waste management, states have the authority to impose standards stricter than the Federal government's. As a result...

08/26/2014

LDR Paperwork for RCRA “Prohibited Wastes”

07/22/2014

EPA Discusses Rag Rule

On July 31, 2013, the US EPA promulgated a new final rule to relax hazardous waste management requirements for solvent-contaminated wipes (i.e., shop towels). Under this rulemaking, solvent-contaminated wipes that are laundered are conditionally excluded from regulation as solid waste, and discarded solvent-contaminated wipes are conditionally excluded from regulation as hazardous waste...

07/15/2014

Hazmat in Healthcare: Division 6.2 and Medical Waste

06/25/2014

RCRA Workshop Helps Manufacturers With “Zero Landfill” Initiatives

At manufacturing and industrial facilities nationwide, managing hazardous waste can be a burdensome and expensive responsibility. Compliance professionals must manage their waste to exacting standards and pay to have the waste hauled away, treated, and disposed of safely. In addition to these management, treatment, and disposal rules, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires...

06/24/2014

Crushing Mercury Lamps: When Is It Acceptable?

The fluorescent lamps in offices and facilities across the US use mercury vapor for illumination. Under the US EPA’s RCRA regulations, wastes that contain elevated levels of leachable mercury compounds are hazardous waste. [40 CFR 261.24] When you discard the bulb from a tube or compact fluorescent lamp, you are discarding hazardous waste. Because nearly every office and business in the country generates this kind of waste...

05/27/2014

EPA Moves Forward with e-Manifest Standards

On February 7, 2014, the US EPA established a new set of rules (79 FR 7518) for the e-manifest system. This system is meant to provide an alternative method of tracking hazardous waste shipments from generators to treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs). While the EPA has a long-term goal of tracking hazardous waste electronically, the e-manifest system will coexist with...

04/29/2014

Managing Universal Waste-State and Federal Rules

In 1976, Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a law authorizing the US EPA to regulate the management of hazardous waste from the point of generation to disposal, or “cradle to grave.” Under RCRA, states can create and administer their own hazardous waste programs, provided the State program is no less protective than the Federal standard. ..