Missouri Adopts Updated Hazardous Waste Regulations for Generators

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has updated their State hazardous waste regulations to incorporate substantial changes from the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste standards, by reference, as of July 1, 2024.

With the update, Missouri adopted provisions from several major hazardous waste rulemakings finalized by US EPA in the years since the State's regulations were last updated. Some of the most substantial rules now incorporated into Missouri’s regulations include: 

• The RCRA "Generator Improvements Rule" 
• EPA’s addition of aerosol cans as universal waste 
• Regulatory relief for recalled airbags
• The Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals (HWP) Rule

Why Did Missouri Update State Hazardous Waste Regulations?

Like most states, Missouri oversees its own hazardous waste program authorized by US EPA under RCRA. To maintain their authorization, each state must enact hazardous waste regulations that are at least as stringent as US EPA’s rules. 



Some of the Final Rules listed above added new, more stringent requirements for generators—most notably the RCRA Generator Improvements Rule, which added stricter requirements related to generator notifications, container labels, and contingency plans. Read more: What's In the RCRA Generator Improvements Rule?

To maintain authorization of their State program, Missouri was required to adopt these “more stringent” provisions. Other hazardous waste updates listed above, such as adding hazardous waste aerosols cans to the universal waste program, were adopted voluntarily to provide some form of relief to the regulated community.

St. Louis Hazardous Waste Training 

Join an expert Lion instructor in St. Louis on September 29–30, 2025 for training on the latest hazardous waste management requirements for generators, including major updates just adopted in Missouri: Lion's RCRA Hazardous Waste Management workshop prepares industry professionals to identify, store, and dispose of hazardous wastes to ensure compliance with RCRA.