Summary of Existing Waste Classification Systems

This Report is concerned with classification of hazardous waste for purposes of disposal. However, the principles and concepts embodied in the waste classification system could be applied in classifying hazardous materials for any other purpose. The classification system is intended to be applied to hazardous waste prior to disposal. It is not intended to be applied to screening or ranking of contaminated sites, including existing hazardous waste disposal sites, because these activities involve site-specific considerations that cannot be included in a generally applicable waste classification system. However, any wastes exhumed from contaminated sites that then require disposal would be included in the waste classification system. 

This Report presents the foundations and technical principles for development of a generally applicable and risk-based hazardous waste classification system. Recommendations on suitable approaches to establishing boundaries of different waste classes are discussed these boundaries could be expressed, for example, in terms of limits on concentrations of hazardous substances. However, a particular implementation of the proposed waste classification system in terms of quantifying the boundaries of different waste classes is not presented. 

This Section summarizes the separate classification systems that have been developed for radioactive and hazardous chemical wastes. Impacts of the two classification systems on management and disposal of mixed wastes are also described. 

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To address the need of various audiences to understand this Report at different levels of detail, the Report consists of three essentially self-contained parts a short Synopsis, an extended Technical Summary, and the main Report. The Synopsis presents a brief description of the proposed waste classification system, essentially in the form of an overview for legislators and other executive-level decision makers. The aim is to show that the system is simple in principle and concepts, and to illustrate its benefits. The Technical Summary (Section 1) presents an extended discussion of existing hazardous waste classification systems, difficulties with these systems, and the proposed classification system. The aim is to fully describe the proposed system and its rationale and benefits, but without much of the background information on technical and historical details that support the proposal. Many audiences may find that the Technical... 

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