Reactive waste characteristically hazardous

A sohd waste is considered hazardous if it is either a Hsted waste or a characteristic waste. Listed wastes include a Hst of specific processes that generate a waste and a Hst of discarded commercial chemical products. There are four hazardous waste characteristics ignitabiHty, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. The last refers to the leachabiHty of a waste and the resultant toxicity in the groundwater using the analytical method referred to as toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). A Hst of substances included under TCLP is shown in Table 1. 

The first step to be taken by a generator of waste is to determine whether that waste is hazardous. Waste may be hazardous by being listed in the regulations, or by meeting any of four characteristics ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and extraction procedure (EP) toxicity. 

The generator of a waste must determine if the waste is hazardous. To do this, the generator must determine if the waste is specifically listed as a hazardous waste (Article 9, CCR), and/or if it is a characteristic hazardous waste (ignitable, corrosive, toxic, reactive) (Article 11, CCR). Certain wastes are also classified as "extremely hazardous wastes." These are listed in Article 9, CCR and their characteristics are identified in Article 11, CCR. 

Waste that is hazardous because it exhibits the toxicity characteristic also must be treated to remove this characteristic prior to disposal. Techniques to remove the toxicity characteristic include, for example, destruction of organic compounds by incineration or incorporation of the waste in an immobilizing waste form (e.g., grout). However, in contrast to ignitable, corrosive, or reactive waste, a properly treated toxic waste may still be considered hazardous in some cases, even if it is not characteristically hazardous after treatment and does not contain any listed substances. For example, a waste that is toxic because it contains high levels of heavy metals could be treated to reduce the leachability of the metals to acceptable levels by incorporation in an appropriate waste form, but the treated waste may still be considered hazardous when the toxic substances of concern are not destroyed by treatment and the possibility exists that their leachability from the waste form could increase substantially after disposal. 

Of the various ways of designating a solid waste as hazardous described above, only the toxicity characteristic is based on a quantitative assessment of potential risks resulting from waste disposal. The specifications of ignitable, corrosive, and reactive waste are based on qualitative considerations of risk, in that the presence of materials with these characteristics in a disposal facility clearly constitutes a hazard that could compromise the ability of the facility to protect public health. The specifications of listed hazardous wastes are based on risk in the sense that the listed substances have been identified as potentially hazardous to human health. However, requirements for treatment and disposal of listed waste discussed in Section 4.2.2 do not distinguish between different wastes based on considerations of risk from disposal. 

There are two types of regulated hazardous waste characteristic wastes and listed wastes. A solid waste is classified as a characteristic hazardous waste if it exhibits any of the following ignitability, corrosivity, toxicity, or reactivity. A solid waste is a listed hazardous waste if it is specifically listed by the EPA or a state regulatory body based on certain criteria (40 CFR 261.11). 

In the U.S. program, some wastes are listed as hazardous because of their known properties or effects, whereas others are to be deemed liazardous if they posses certain prescribed characteristics. Four major characteristics arc now used reactivity, igiutibdity, corrosivity, and a certain simplistic form of toxicity wluch pertains mostly to toxic metals. Many of the States define a broader universe of wastes as hazardous than the Federal program in terms of listed wastes and characteristics. 

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA was charged with identifying wastes which pose a hazard to human health and the environment when improperly managed. In fulfilling this mandate, EPA identified a number of characteristics which, if exhibited by a waste, would indicate that the waste is hazardous. These characteristics include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and Extraction Procedure Toxicity. 

U.S. EPA Region 10, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and U.S. Army Environmental Center (AEC) have used these results for determining the characteristic hazardous waste status of explosives contaminated soil as a reactive waste under RCRA. The basis for the RCRA characteristic hazardous waste status is the assumed explosive reactivity of the soils if subjected to a strong initiating force or if heated under confinement (40 CFR 261.23). These results apply to explosives such as TNT, HMX, DNT, TNB, and DNB, and do not apply to initiating compounds, such as lead azide, lead styphenate, or mercury fulminate. 

A closer examination of hazardous waste characteristics of battery materials does reveal differences between battery chemistries. The toxicity of conventional battery materials such as lead, antimony and cadmium are well known, and therefore they are usually recovered as much as possible rather than disposing of them. Strict emission controls are required to prevent their release into the air or water. The problems with advanced battery systems in this regard are not quite so severe, but there still may be reactive, corrosive, or toxic materials present that must be dealt with during the recycling process. 

Determining Whether a Solid Waste is Hazardous for Subtitle C Purposes A person who handles a solid waste not within one of the regulatory exclusions must look to 261.30-33 and 261.20-24 to determine whether that waste is hazardous and hence subject to the full panoply of Subtitle C regulations. Sections 261.30-33 contain EPA s hazardous waste lists 261.21-24 identify four characteristics (ignitibility, corrosivity, reactivity, and Extraction Procedure toxicity) that make a waste hazardous regardless of whether it is included on a hazardous waste list. 

RCRA, 40CFR261.30 hazardous codes, A B C D E and F, which represent corrosive waste (A) toxicity characteristic waste (B) acute hazardous waste (C) ignitable waste (D) reactive waste (E) and toxic waste (F) respectively A B C D E F... 

The second mechanism by which wastes may be designated hazardous waste is by the federal RCRA hazardous waste characteristics. These characteristics include ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity (40 CFR 261.21-261.24), as foUows ... 

Wastes defined as hazardous under RCRA include characteristic and listed wastes. An RCRA-defined hazardous waste is a waste that appears on one of four lists (F list, K list, U list, or P list) or exhibits at least one of four characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity). Criteria for identifying characteristic hazardous wastes are included in Title 40, CFR part 261, subpart C. Listed wastes from industrial sources are itemized in 40 CFR part 261, subpart D. Other regulations that are relevant to the technology include the requirement to characterize the waste for a hazardous waste generator (40 CFR part 262.11), the requirement to determine if the hazardous waste is restricted from land disposal [40 CFR 268.7(a)], requirements for on-site storage of waste for up to 90 days [40 CFR 262.34(a)], or 40 CFR 264.553 for storage of waste in a temporary unit for up to 1 year prior to disposal. 

If a waste cannot be found on one of the RCRA lists, this does not mean it is not hazardous. Unlisted waste must still be tested to determine if it has certain properties or characteristics that render it hazardous. A waste is hazardous if it has one or more of the following properties ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. 

Hazardous-Waste Management. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 provides the framework for regulating hazardous-waste handling and disposal in the United States. One very useful component of RCRA is that it specihes a very clear and organized procedure for determining if a particular material is a hazardous waste and therefore subject to RCRA regulations. If the material of interest is indeed a waste, then it is dehned to be a hazardous waste if it appears on one of RCRA s lists of hazardous wastes, if it contains one or more hazardous chemicals that appear on an RCRA list, or if it has one or more of the four RCRA hazardous waste characteristics as dehned by laboratory tests. The four RCRA hazardous waste characteristics are hammability, reactivity, corrosivity, and toxicity. The RCRA regulations set standards for secure landhlls and treatment processes for disposal of hazardous waste. 

A waste is a solid or liquid material that is no longer used. The EPA defines waste as hazardous if it has certain properties that could pose dangers to human health and the environment after it is discarded. The EPA considers a waste to be hazardous if it possesses certain characteristics (e.g., ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity) or if it is on a list of specific wastes determined by the EPA to be hazardous. RCRA regulations, found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40, Part 261, present the listed hazardous wastes, describe hazardous waste characteristics, and specify test methods for determining whether waste is hazardous. Complete lists of wastes identified by the EPA as hazardous can also be obtained from the EPA s RCRA/Super-fund Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or from the EPA regional offices. 

Beyond solid wastes, a chemical substance may be labeled as a "hazardous waste" under RCRA if it is listed as a hazardous waste by EPA or if it is determined to be a characteristic "hazardous waste" that exhibits high ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. Once a material is labeled as a hazardous waste, the material is tracked and permitted at all stages of the manufacturing, use, and disposal process. Generators of hazardous wastes are required to keep detailed records from cradle to grave of the substance to ensure unintended releases and environmental contamination do not... 

If, after mixing a non-exempt characteristic hazardous waste with an exempt waste, the resulting mixture exhibits any of the same hazardous characteristics as the hazardous waste (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity), then the mixture is a non-exempt hazardous waste. 

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. 

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