RCRA Exam 2023/2024 Solved 100%

Why was RCRA enacted? - ANSWER-As an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act. To address the huge volumes of municipal and industrial solid waste generated nationwide. Gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle to grave", including generation,. transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. Goals set by RCRA - ANSWER-- Protect human health and the environment from hazards of waste disposal - Conserve energy and natural resources - Reduce the amount of waste generated - Ensure that waste is managed in an environmentally sound manner - Prevent future problems caused by irresponsible waste management - clean up releases of hazardous waste in a timely, flexible, and protective manner Compare RCRA and CERCLA - ANSWER-RCRA is for materials currently destined for disposal CERCLA is for cleaning up inactive and abandoned hazardous waste sites 3 primary parts of RCRA - ANSWER-- The Act - Regulations - Guidance and Policy The Act (part of RCRA) - ANSWER-The law that describes the kind of waste management program that Congress wants to establish. Has a 10 Subtitles (A, B, D-J) that outline general provisions: authorities of the EPA; duties of the Secretary of Commerce; federal responsibilities; misc provisions; research, development, demonstration, and information requirement; USTs; and medical waste tracking. Subtitle C : hazardous waste management program Subtitle D : solid waste program Regulations (part of RCRA) - ANSWER-Legal mechanisms that establish standards or impose requirements. New regulations are published/promulgated in the Federal Register for public review and in the Federal Register and the CFR once final (codification). Purpose of HSWA - ANSWER-Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA Act that were created in 1984 in response to citizen concerns that existing methods of hazardous waste disposal weren't safe. Focused on waste minimization, phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste, and corrective action of releases. Increased enforcement authority for the EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and a UST program. Hammer Provisions (RCRA) - ANSWER-Statutory requirements of the HSWA that go into effect automatically if EPA failed to issue regulations by a certain date. Guidance and Policy (part of RCRA) - ANSWER-Guidance documents ("how-to") are issued by the EPA to provide direction for implementing and complying with regulations. Policy statements ("should-do") specify operating procedures that should generally be followed. Mechanisms used by the EPA to outline the manner in which the RCRA programs are implemented. Can be directed at the staff oworking on the implementation, or to the regulated public. RCRA Subtitle D - Solid Waste - ANSWER-Makes the state and local governments the primary planning, regulating, and implemeting entities for the management of nonhazardous solid waste, such as household garbage and nonhaz industrial solid waste. EPA provides the states with info, guidance, policy, and regulations to help states make better decisions in dealing with waste issues, reap benefits of recycling and source reduction, and to upgrade or close environmentall unsound disposal units. Example, federal establishment of criteria for proper design and operations of MSWLFs. Most of Subtitle D solid waste program is overseen by the states and compliance is assured through state-issued permits. RCRA Subtitle C - Hazardous Waste - ANSWER-Establishes a federal program to manage hazardous wastes from CRADLE TO GRAVE. The purpose is to ensure that hazardous waste is handled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Subtitle C has regulations for the 1) generation, 2) transportation, and 3) treatment, storage and disposal of haz wastes. Includes TSDF facilities and LQGs. In general, Subtitle C first establishes the criteria to determine which solid wastes are hazardous, then establishes various requirements for the 3 categories of hazardous waste handlers: generators, transporters, and TSDFs. The regulations are the technical standards for the design and safe operation of TSDFs, to minimize the release of haz waste into the environment. The regulations are also the basis for developing and issuing the permits that are required by the Act.