Hazardous waste definition

Training for other activities such as deactivation and D D may not fall under the hazardous waste definition. As previously mentioned, the authors believe that, in many cases, applying hazardous waste principles based on a hazard-based approach will help to provide a safe worksite and add value to these activities. These activities may involve hazard abatement processes, such as chemical lab packing, asbestos, lead, mercury, or... 

Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste Definition of hazardous waste-generic exclusion levels for K061 and K062 nonwastewater HTMR residues 0.15 mg/L (maximum for any single composite sample TCLP 40 CFR 261.3 EPA 1992... 

EPA. 1985a. Identification and listing of hazardous waste. Definition of solid waste. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Code of Federal Regulations. 40 CFR 261.2. 

Thermal treatment is used to destroy, break down, or aid in the desorption of contaminants in gases, vapors, Hquids, sludges, and soHds. There are a variety of thermal processes that destroy contaminants, most of which are classified as incineration. Incineration HteraHy means to become ash (from Medieval Latin, incinerare in or into ashes). With respect to the incineration of hazardous wastes regulated in the United States, however, there is a strict legal definition of what constitutes an incinerator. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) definition of incinerator at 40 CFR 260.10 is... 

Hazardous Wastes The U.S. EPA has defined hazardous waste in RCRA regulations, CFR Parts 260 and 261. A waste may be hazardous if it exhibits one or more of the following characteristics (1) ignitability, (2) corrosivity, (3) reactivity, and (4) toxicity. A detailed definition of these terms was first published in the Federal Register on May 19, 1980, pages 33, 121-122. A waste may be hazardous if listed in Appendix Wll. 

HAZARDOUS WASTE An Unofficial class of industrial wastes which have to be disposed of with particular care. In the UK the closest definition is for special wastes . Certain toxic organic wastes, such as PCBs, have to be burned in high-temperature incinerators. 

SPECIAL WASTE Controlled waste which is subject to special regulations regarding its control and disposal because of its difficult or dangerous characteristics. The UK definition of special waste is similar, but not identical, to the EC s hazardous waste. 

This section provides an overview of important definitions and terminology that the Hazardous Materials Worker and Emergency Response Personnel should know. Emergency response at sites other than hazardous waste clean-up sites are emphasized. Under OSHA s 29 CFR1910.120 emergency response personnel (that will take some action to control the situation other than call for help) shall be trained to a competence to protect themselves and other employees in ... 

By definition, hazardous waste aetivities that fall in the seope of HAZWOPER inelude the following ... 

Wastes must be an RCRA hazardous waste in order to be subject to the LDR program. In other words, unless a waste meets the definition of a solid and hazardous waste, its disposal is not regulated under the LDR program. Once a generator identifies its waste as hazardous (either listed, characteristic, or both), the waste is assigned a waste code. When U.S. EPA establishes a treatment standard for the waste code, the waste will then become restricted (i.e., subject to the LDR requirements). RCRA requires that U.S. EPA establish treatment standards for hazardous wastes within six months of promulgating a new listing or characteristic. Until U.S. EPA establishes a treatment standard for a waste, this newly identified or newly listed waste (i.e., waste for which U.S. EPA is yet to establish a treatment... 

Industrial furnaces are enclosed units that are integral parts of a manufacturing process and use thermal treatment to recover materials or energy from hazardous waste. These units may use hazardous waste as a fuel to heat raw materials to make a commodity (e.g., a cement kiln making cement) or the unit may recover materials from the actual hazardous waste (e.g., a lead smelter recovering lead values). The following 12 devices meet the definition of an industrial furnace12 ... 

Proper identification of a hazardous waste can be a difficult and confusing task, as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations establish a complex definition of the term hazardous waste. To help make sense of what is and is not a hazardous waste, this chapter presents the steps involved in the process of identifying, or characterizing, a hazardous waste. 

This chapter will introduce the entire hazardous waste identification process, but will focus particularly on the final steps and the characteristics and properties of hazardous wastes. After reading this chapter, one will be able to understand the hazardous waste identification process and the definition of hazardous waste, and be familiar with the following concepts ... 

Hazardous waste identification begins with an obvious point in order for any material to be a hazardous waste, it must first be a waste. However, deciding whether an item is or is not a waste is not always easy. For example, a material (like an aluminum can) that one person discards could seem valuable to another person who recycles that material. U.S. EPA therefore developed a set of regulations to assist in determining whether a material is a waste. RCRA uses the term solid waste in place of the common term waste. Under RCRA, the term solid waste means any waste, whether it is a solid, semisolid, or liquid. The first section of the RCRA hazardous waste identification regulations focuses on the definition of solid waste. For this chapter, you need only understand in general terms the role that the definition of solid waste plays in the RCRA hazardous waste identification process. 

The final steps in the hazardous waste identification process determine whether a waste poses a sufficient chemical or physical hazard to merit regulation. These steps in the hazardous waste identification process involve evaluating the waste in light of the regulatory definition of hazardous waste. The remainder of this chapter explains the definition, characteristics, and properties of hazardous wastes. 

Materials that are recycled are a special subset of the solid waste universe. When recycled, some materials are not solid wastes, and therefore not hazardous wastes, but others are solid and hazardous waste, but are subject to less-stringent regulatory controls. The level of regulation that applies to recycled materials depends on the material and the type of recycling (Figure 13.2). Because some types of recycling pose threats to human health and the environment, RCRA does not exempt all recycled materials from the definition of solid waste. As a result, the manner in which a material is recycled will determine whether or not the material is a solid waste, and therefore whether it is... 

A material cannot be a hazardous waste if it does not meet the definition of a solid waste. Thus, wastes that are excluded from the definition of solid waste are not subject to the RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste regulation. There are 20 exclusions from the definition of solid waste ... 

Processed scrap metal. Scrap metal includes, but is not limited to, pipes, containers, equipment, wire, and other metal items that are no longer of use. To facilitate recycling, scrap metal that has been processed to make it easier to handle or transport and is sent for metals recovery is excluded from the definition of solid waste. Unprocessed scrap metal is still eligible for an exemption from hazardous waste regulation when recycled. 

Shredded circuit boards. Circuit boards are metal boards that hold computer chips, thermostats, batteries, and other electronic components. Circuit boards can be found in computers, televisions, radios, and other electronic equipment. When this equipment is thrown away, these boards can be removed and recycled. Whole circuit boards meet the definition of scrap metal, and are therefore exempt from hazardous waste regulation when recycled. On the other hand, some recycling processes involve shredding the board. Such shredded boards do not meet the exclusion for recycled scrap metal. In order to facilitate the recycling of such materials, U.S. EPA excluded recycled shredded circuit boards from the definition of solid waste, provided that they are stored in containers sufficient to prevent release to the environment, and are free of potentially dangerous components, such as mercury switches, mercury relays, nickel-cadmium batteries, and lithium batteries. 

Mineral processing spent materials. Mineral processing generates spent materials that may exhibit hazardous waste characteristics. Common industry practice is to recycle these mineral processing wastes back into the processing operations to recover mineral value. U.S. EPA created a conditional exclusion from the definition of solid waste for these spent materials when recycled in the mineral processing industry, provided the materials are stored in certain types of units and are not accumulated speculatively. 

U.S. EPA also exempts certain solid wastes from the definition of hazardous waste. If a material meets an exemption from the definition of hazardous waste, it cannot be a hazardous waste, even if the material technically meets a listing or exhibits a characteristic. There are 16 exemptions from the definition of hazardous waste ... 

Agricultural waste. To prevent overregulation of farms and promote waste recycling, solid wastes generated by crop or animal farming are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste provided that the wastes are returned to the ground as fertilizers or soil conditioners. Examples of such wastes are crop residues and manures. 

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