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Frequently
Asked Questions About Waste
General Questions
Hazardous Waste Questions
Solid Waste Questions
General Answers
What is RCRA and what does it regulate?
RCRA is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which was enacted by
Congress in 1976. RCRA's primary goals are to protect human health and the
environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, to conserve energy
and natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to ensure
that wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner. RCRA regulates
the management of solid waste (e.g., garbage), hazardous waste, and underground
storage tanks holding petroleum products or certain chemicals.
How can I report environmental problems with waste
management?
The public may discuss environmental problems and concerns over waste
management with their local or state government waste management division.
Another resource for solid and hazardous waste issues is your EPA Regional
office. Contacts can be found on our regional
page.
Hazardous Waste Answers
What is a RCRA hazardous waste?
Wastes that exhibit certain characteristics may be regulated by RCRA. A
waste may be considered hazardous if it is ignitable (i.e., burns readily),
corrosive, or reactive (e.g., explosive). A wastes may also be considered
hazardous if it contains certain amounts of toxic chemicals. In addition
to these characteristic wastes, EPA has also developed a list of over 500
specific hazardous wastes. Hazardous waste takes many physical forms and
may be solid, semi-solid, or even liquid.
How much hazardous waste is generated each year
in the United States?
In 1999, over 20,000 hazardous waste generators produced over 40 million
tons of hazardous waste regulated by RCRA.
How are hazardous waste laws enforced?
In any given state, EPA or a state hazardous waste agency enforces the
hazardous waste laws. EPA encourages states to assume primary responsibility
for implementing the hazardous waste program through state adoption, authorization,
and implementation of the regulations.
What types of businesses generate hazardous waste?
Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. Some are small companies
that may be located in your community. For example, the following types
of businesses typically generate hazardous waste: dry cleaners, auto repair
shops, hospitals, exterminators, and photo processing centers. Some hazardous
waste generators are larger companies like chemical manufacturers, electroplating
companies, and petroleum refineries.
Who is regulated by the RCRA hazardous waste program?
The RCRA hazardous waste program regulates commercial businesses as well
as federal, state and local government facilities that generate, transport,
treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. Each of these entities is
regulated to ensure proper management of hazardous waste from the moment
it is generated until its ultimate disposal or destruction.
How should household hazardous waste (e.g., paint,
paint thinner, batteries, used oil) be disposed?
Hazardous wastes that are generated in the home, like mineral spirits
and old paint, are not regulated by the federal RCRA program. Many communities
provide collection centers or pick-up services for the management of household
hazardous waste. Local recycling centers or fire departments may be able
to provide more information about locations and details.
What are the safe alternatives to hazardous materials
for home use (e.g., lawn products?
Homeowners can use products that are nonhazardous or less hazardous and
should use only the amount needed for a project. Leftover materials can
be shared with neighbors, donated to a business charity or government
agency, or given to a household hazardous waste program. Information on
proper use of home and garden chemicals as well as safer alternatives
can be found at EPA's Office
of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Web site for concerned
citizens.
Solid Waste Answers
What is a RCRA solid waste?
According to the EPA regulations, solid waste means any garbage, or refuse,
sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant,
or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including
solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material resulting from
industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community
activities.
How much municipal solid waste is generated each
year in the United States?
In 1998, approximately 220 million tons of municipal solid waste or garbage
was generated in the United States. This means each person generated an
average of 4.46 pounds of solid waste per day.
Who regulates landfills that accept municipal
garbage? Can these municipal landfills accept hazardous waste?<
Landfills that collect household garbage are predominately regulated by
State and local governments. EPA has, however, established minimum criteria
that these landfills must meet in order to stay open. The only hazardous
waste that municipal landfills can accept is household hazardous waste
and waste that is exempt from hazardous waste regulation.
What are the benefits of recycling? Are there environmental
and/or financial benefits that encourage recycling?
Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants,
saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry, creates jobs,
stimulates the development of greener technologies, conserves resources
for future generations, and reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.
What new products come from recycled products?
What is the process?
Recycling creates new products such as aluminum cans, newspapers, cereal
boxes, paper towels, egg cartons, carpeting, motor oil, car bumpers, nails,
trash bags, glass containers, comic books, and laundry detergent bottles.
Steps in the recycling process include collecting the recyclable components
of municipal solid waste, separating materials by type, processing them
into reusable forms, and purchasing and using the goods made with reprocessed
materials.
Does the recycling process make more pollution?
Using recovered material generates less solid waste. Recycling helps to
reduce the pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin
materials. Also, when products are made using recovered rather than virgin
materials, less energy is used during manufacturing and fewer pollutants
are emitted.
How do we get more people to recycle?
Educating the public about the benefits of recycling and/or providing
economic incentives will get more people involved in recycling.
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