The goal is first to prevent extinction of endangered plants and animals, and second to recover these populations by preventing threats to their survival. The rcra statute, regulations, and programs were created at a time when we did. The law describes the waste management program mandated by congress that gave epa authority to develop the rcra program. This law gives the epa authority to control hazardous. This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. Building on our past to protect our future t he year 2001 was an important milestone in environmental protection. Rcra corrective action enforcement actions enforcement us epa. Kenneth kastner is the author of a chapter that was published in the book the. Solid waste disposal act, as amended by the resource conservation and recovery act of 1976 rcra, and the hazardous and solid waste amendments of 1984 hswa, 42 u. The format is designed to follow the part a and part b application forms, and the part b electronic checklist. Statutory framework of rcra amended the solid waste disposal act major amendments have included the.
Although rcra was first enacted in 1976, congress beefed it up following the love canal disaster. Pharmaceutical waste is not a new waste stream as the us environmental protection agencys epa resource conservation and implement and manage a best practice pharmaceutical waste management program recovery act rcra was written in 1976. As described in your memorandum, liquid exiting a reactor unit after a particular chemical reaction is transported by pipe and pump to a manifold. Our disclaimer statement is intended to help the public understand the role of these documents in the rcra program. Anyone who has ever read the first draft of a resource conservation and recovery act rcra hazardous waste part b permit for a hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility knows that epa or the delegated state agency takes a much more programmatic, rather than facilityspecific, approach to permit drafting. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra is our nations primary law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. Resource conservation recovery act rcra training video. This act was signed into law in 1976, and consisted of amendments to the. Transmittal of guidance on enforcement approaches for expediting rcra corrective action 1201 memorandum provides guidance to epa and rcra authorized state project managers on a variety of enforcement approaches that can be used to accomplish timely, protective, and efficient corrective action at rcra subtitle c facilities.
Dec 01, 2016 waste rcra resource conservation and recovery act. Environmental protection agency epa to administer the resource conservation recovery act rcra corrective action ca program in kansas. This act was signed into law in 1976, and consisted of amendments to the solid waste disposal act of 1956. Jan 23, 2012 the epa regulates all industrial waste under the resource conservation and recovery act, or rcra, requiring companies to be responsible for their hazardous waste from cradle to grave.
Overview of the resource conservation and recovery act rcra. Handouts for the resource conservation and recovery act. Rcra established a system for managing nonhazardous and hazardous solid wastes in an environmentally sound manner. This plan is called the strategy for addressing the retail sector under the resource conservation and recovery act s regulatory framework retail strategy and was made publicly available on september 12, 2016. Regulations implementing rcra became effective on november 8, 1980. In some states and municipalities, wastewater discharge is still available, although this practice is. He also works part time at large car dealership, which is owned by his father. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra gives epa the authority to control hazardous waste from the cradletograve. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra provides cradletograve control of solid and hazardous waste by establishing management requirements on generators and transporters of hazardous waste and on owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. Resource conservation and recovery act rcra regulatory program approach to manage solid and hazardous waste at facilities that are currently in use includes corrective action for releases and past practice sites regulates waste from cradletograve comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act cercla. Summary of the resource conservation and recovery act. Pollution prevention is any practice that reduces, eliminates or. Pdf 46k consolidated rules of practice governing the.
Rcra was signed into law on october 21, 1976 to address the increasing problems the nation faced from our growing volume of municipal and industrial waste. Environmental protection agency epa the authority to control hazardous waste from its creation to its disposal. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra, enacted in 1976, is the principal federal law in the united states governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. The requirements under california law are more stringent than the federal criteria. Rcra was an amendment to the solid waste disposal act of 1965, which. Though it a party can obtain injunctive relief to address contamination and can recover attorney fees and expert costs. Resource conservation and recovery act rcra federal register. The best way to protect health and the environment from hazardous wastes is to prevent exposure. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra was enacted in 1976. Rice of the eastern district of washington ruled that the resource conservation and recovery act could apply to manure used, stored and managed at a dairy in the yakima valley, holding that the dairy discarded manure so as to make it a solid waste under the statute. Strang 1 introduction the citizen suit provisions of the resource conservation and recovery act are an important weapon tool in the arsenal of the environmental litigator. A 10minute introduction to the resource conservation and recovery act presented by. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra 1 deals with how to manage and dispose of hazardous waste to avoid creating any more love canals. Resource conservation and recovery act of 1976 pdf47 pp, 7.
Fact sheet implementation of rcra corrective action in kansas. The congress hereby declares it to be the national policy of the united states that pollution should be prevented or reduced. Additional requirements apply depending on what type of inspection will be conducted. Rcra abbreviation stands for resource conservation and recovery act. Make sure you check out our faq article to get more information about which test dates are affected and what that means for you. Ruling applies rcra to dairy practices for the first time. Regulated as a corrective action covered by the resource conservation and recovery act rcra. What is the abbreviation for resource conservation and recovery act. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra is the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and nonhazardous solid waste. Rcra set national goals for protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, conserving energy and natural resources, reducing the amount of waste generated, and ensuring that wastes are managed in an environmentallysound manner. Handouts for the resource conservation and recovery act rcra. Recovery act rcra regulatory program approach to manage solid and hazardous waste at facilities that are currently in use includes corrective action for releases and pastpractice sites regulates waste from cradletograve comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act cercla response program.
Under the rcra regulations these materials are termed commercial chemical products ccp. Rcra1976 rcra was the second amendment to the 1965 solid waste disposal act the first amendment was the 1970 resource recovery act. Hazardous and solid waste amendments of 1984 hswa federal facilities compliance act of 1992 ffca land disposal program flexibility act of 1996 includes 10 subtitles. Depending on the nature of the liquid, it is reused, recycled, or sent for offsite disposal as a hazardous waste. The hazardous waste program in the state of illinois is a state implementation of portions of the federal resource conservation and recovery act rcra. Health care organizations are being influenced in multiple ways to improve their waste programs. Due to the covid19 epidemic, some 2020 act test dates have been cancelled. Below are all seven currently available pdfs for official act tests. Rice of the eastern district of washington ruled that the resource conservation and recovery act could. Federal register resource conservation and recovery act. Summary of the resource conservation and recovery act laws. Unless rcra hazardous wastes are included, any incinerator permitted to handle nonhazardous pharmaceutical waste, including wastetoenergy facilities or medical waste incinerators, may be used for destruction purposes.
The rcra practice manual, third edition american bar association. Introduction to the resource conservation and recovery act i2 of federal regulations cfr, parts 239 through 282. Format of the hazardous waste permit application and. Resource conservation and recovery act rcra laws and. The resource conservation and recovery act, or rcra pronounced reckrah, is a labyrinthine piece of legislation. These three elements are the primary parts of the rcra program.
The resource conservation and recovery act while the state and federal superfund programs deal with inactive and abandoned hazardous waste dumps, the resource conservation and recovery act rcra deals with the complementary problem of active waste disposal facilities. This quiz is, to test, beginning knowledge, of hazardous waste operations. Paul and his father also live on a remote portion of the property. Resource conservation and recovery act sourcewatch. History of the resource conservation and recovery act rcra epa. The term rcra is often used interchangeably to refer to the. In 1990, passage of the pollution prevention act expanded the nations waste prevention policy beyond a rcra only framework, to minimizing or eliminating toxic releases to all environmental media and natural resources. However, hospitals and healthcare organizations have flown under the radar for years. The honorable charlie norwood united states house of. Pdf 46k consolidated rules of practice governing the administrative assessment of civil penalties, issuance of compliance or corrective actions orders. The hazardous waste program in the state of illinois is a state implementation of. Epa intends to authorize its contractors, plateau, and their subcontractor, eastern research group erg as well as sra international, inc. The federal hazardous waste law the resource conservation and recovery act, or rcra allows states to enact their own hazardous waste laws, which must be at least as stringent as the federal laws.
Docket no rcra0420164010b proceeding under section 3008a of the resource conservation and recovery act, 42 u. Purpose of the rcra hazardous waste part a permit application the resource conservation and recovery act rcra requires anyone who owns or operates a facility where hazardous waste is treated, stored, or disposed to have a rcra hazardous waste permit issued by the u. Rcra amended the solid waste disposal act of 1965 to address the increasing problems the nation faced from its growing volume of. Written by an impressive roster of environmental lawyers, chapters examine the law in detail while providing a unique, practical focus. The act provides for the management of hazardous wastes from the point of origin to the point of final disposal, ie, cradle to grave. Epa guidance documents and policy directives clarify issues related to the implementation of the regulations. Solid and hazardous waste under the resource conservation. Sector under the resource conservation and recovery act s regulatory framework retail strategy. Focusing on the federal governments program for managing hazardous wastes under rcra, this is a comprehensive yet easytouse guide to an extraordinarily complex area of environmental law. A practicebased examination of one of the most complex areas of environmental law, this is a valuable resource for understanding the law, its. Pacific gas and electric company regarding the definition of solid waste under the resource conservation and recovery act rcra. On september 20, 20, the kansas department of health and environment kdhe received authorization from the u.
Disposal act, commonly known as resource conservation and recovery act of 1976, as amended by inter alia, the hazardous and solid waste amendments of 1984 collectively referred to hereinafter as rcra, 42 u. Protocol for conducting environmental compliance audits of hazardous waste generators under rcra to an audience seeking a primer on the requirements under title 40, however, they are designed to be sufficiently detailed to support the auditors efforts. Handouts for the resource conservation and recovery act rcra corrective action training strategies for meeting the 2020 vision. Rcra citizen suits for injunctive relief by carter e. The chapter addresses recycling and the definition of. Application of the resource conservation and recovery act. Rcra also set forth a framework for the management of nonhazardous solid wastes. Resource conservation and recovery act rcra training requirements for rcra inspectors these training requirements are in addition to the basic inspector training course and the health and safety training required by epa order 3500. Resource conservation and recovery act environmental law. Frequent questions waste minimization wastes us epa. If you work in the environmental sector or with hazardous waste even in any cursory fashion, you are sure to have at least heard of it. Resource conservation and recovery act hazardous waste. Implement and manage a best practice pharmaceutical waste. Jun 22, 2016 rcra section 7002 authorizes citizens to bring enforcement actions against potential or actual violators of rcra, including those who violate rcras corrective action requirements, and against epa in federal district court.
Kenneth kastner is the author of a chapter that was published in the book the rcra practice manual, third edition. Format of the hazardous waste permit application and instructions 30 tac chapter 305 and 40 cfr part 270 use this application format for preparing hazardous waste permit applications. Overview of the resource conservation and recovery act rcra and comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act cercla environmental law institute washington d. The joint commission has specifically included hazardous waste management in two of its standards, medication management and. The second category of work operation is covered by paragraph p and includes those employees engaged in operations involving hazardous waste tsd facilities regulated under 40 cfr parts 264 and 265 pursuant to the rcra. Epa does not assume any liability with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of. Implementation of rcra corrective action in kansas. Solid and hazardous waste under the resource conservation and. In 1990, passage of the pollution prevention act expanded the nations waste prevention policy beyond a rcraonly framework, to minimizing or eliminating toxic releases to all environmental media and natural resources. This consent agreement and final order cnfo serves as notice that epa has. Large operates a 20acre facility in rural sleep county where large services the vehicles it sells. Primarily carried out by the fish and wildlife service of the department of the interior.
Bonnie robinson of your office recommended that this letter be. Hazardous materials and waste resource conservation and recovery act. Rcra cleanup subject categories enforcement us epa. Protocol for conducting environmental compliance audits of. Sustainable land revitalization pdf 1 pg, 29 k, april 10, 2008 draft opportunities to conserve resources, reduce impacts to the community, and reduce impacts on human health and the environment in order to maximize the benefits associated with a land revitalization project. The resource conservation and recovery act rcra, enacted in 1976, is the principal. History of the resource conservation and recovery act. Epa does not make any warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report. The comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act cercla, commonly known as superfund, and rcra are federal laws designed to address lands or waterways that have beenor are beingcontaminated with hazardous substances. The specific letters cited in your march 14, 2000 letter provide staff advice on prudent practice for waste generators in.