Many people are not aware of recent changes impacting Hazardous Waste Generators that were approved by the EPA that will go into effect this year. On October 28, 2016, the EPA Administrator signed the final “Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule.” According to the EPA, the rule changes the “hazardous waste generator regulations to make the rules easier to understand, facilitate better compliance, provide greater flexibility in how hazardous waste is managed, and close important gaps in the regulations.” The changes to the regulations will go into effect on May 30, 2017.
Here is an overview of the changes that can impact waste generators:
- Reorganization of the Hazardous Waste Generator Regulations and modifies the organization of the Preamble.
- Changes to 40 CFR Part 260, which covers definitions
- Changes to 40 CFR Part 261, requiring biennial reporting by facilities that recycle hazardous waste without storing it.
- Changes to 40 CFR Part 262, which covers the standards applicable to generators of hazardous waste
- Additional changes to 40 CFR Part 262 for generators that would ordinarily have changed status due to an episodic event
- Additional changes to 40 CFR Part 262 clarifying expectations related to Preparedness, Prevention, and Emergency Procedures for SQG’s and LQG’s
- Technical corrections and changes to 40 CFR Part 257
- New discussion of “Electronic Tools to Streamline Hazardous Waste Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements”
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting more information to provide a detailed overview of each of these 8 changes.