Hazardous Waste Compliance: Scope of This Course

Almost every US workplace that uses chemicals makes some waste that the law treats as hazardous: spent solvent from a parts washer, paint sludge, used acids, contaminated rags, old laboratory chemicals, broken lamps, dead batteries. The federal law that controls this waste is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the person or company whose activity makes the waste is the generator.

The generator is responsible for the waste from cradle to grave — from the moment it is made until it is finally treated or disposed of. Handing a drum to a waste company does not end that responsibility. If the waste is mismanaged later, the generator can still be pulled into the cleanup and the cost.

Why your state rules decide the final answer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wrote the federal rules, but most states run their own hazardous waste program in place of the federal one, after EPA authorizes it. A state program must be at least as strict as the federal program, and it may be stricter or broader. Some states list extra wastes, set lower thresholds, require more frequent reports or charge fees.

So the federal numbers in this course are the baseline. Where your state rule is stricter, the state rule applies to your facility. A good habit: every time you learn a federal number here, ask "What does my state say?"