BEM 3701 Hazardous Waste Management

For this assignment, navigate to https://www.epa.gov/hw/criteria-definition-solid-waste-and-solid-and-hazardous-waste-exclusions. Using this site and the links in it, you should be able to answer the following questions. If you want to look at other sources, you may.

1. The waste your company creates in a process is on the EPA's F-list. It has the following characteristics:

Is the waste considered a solid waste that is regulated under RCRA? In your answer, describe why each characteristic does or does not make the waste a solid waste under RCRA.

2. Describe what it means if a waste is accumulated speculatively.

3. You are asked by your employer to determine if a waste is subject to RCRA. The waste is spent sulfuric acid. Use the EPA website to explain why the waste is or is not subject to RCRA.

4. Your facility produces a listed waste that is inherently waste-like and is not used as an ingredient or substitute in the original process. The waste is not specifically excluded, nor is it a military munition. Describe how you would determine if the waste is regulated as a hazardous waste under RCRA. What does it mean when a waste is “inherently waste-like under RCRA?

1. The waste is considered as solid waste since it neither falls within the inherent-like waste nor in the military munition. On the other hand, it falls within the abandoned category which is not to be used later thus ending up in the abandoned category which justifies it as a solid waste (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Since the products fail to undergo recycling for use, it is considered as a solid waste whose state is not useful. Thus, it is abandoned as the end product is not used and remains wide open to disposal.  

2. Speculative accumulation refers to the manner of the collection which makes sure that methods used in recycling remain legitimate and according to the RCRA regulations. In some instances, some wastes scheduled for recycling are not considered solid thus making it hard for them to be classified as hazardous (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). In this respect, it becomes unsafe for materials proved to be capable of being recycled or contain recycled like materials according to the RCRA.     

3. The waste is not subject to RCEA as it is excluded from solid waste definition upon recycling unless in cases where it undergoes accumulation.

4. The material is considered waste-like if it poses a threat to the lives and environment of human beings and is thus regarded as solid wastes (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017). Therefore, it falls within the qualification of hazardous wastes. The product would have received exclusion if it fell within the criteria of a discarded military munition if it remained to be used in other areas. 

References

Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Criteria for the definition of solid waste and solid and hazardous. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/hw/criteria-definition-solid-waste-and-solid-and-hazardous-waste-exclusions

Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Defining hazardous waste: Listed characteristics and mixed radiological wastes. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/hw/defining-hazardous-waste-listed-characteristic-and-mixed-radiological-wastes