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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
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The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed by the 94th United States Congress and signed into law by President Gerald Ford (R) in 1976. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "the objectives of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, to conserve energy and natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to ensure that wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner."[1]
Legislative history
See bill: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was introduced in the United States Senate on July 21, 1975 by Representative Jennings Randolph (D-West Virginia). The bill passed the Senate on June 30, 1976 by a vote of 88-3. The United States House of Representatives passed the bill, with an amendment, by a vote of 367-8 on September 27, 1976. The Senate agreed to the House amendment on September 30, 1976. President Gerald Ford signed the bill into law on October 21, 1976.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act |
| United States Congress |
|---|
| Introduced: July 21, 1975 |
| House vote: 88-3; September 27, 1976 |
| Senate vote: 367-8; June 30, 1976 Agreed to House amendment on September 30, 1976 |
| President: Gerald Ford |
| Signed: October 21, 1976 |
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In a prepared statement, Ford said the following about the bill:[2]
| “ | I believe this bill provides a workable program aimed at solving one of the highest priority environmental problems confronting the Nation, the disposal of hazardous wastes. This legislation provides for State responsibility for the control of hazardous wastes while at the same time assuring uniform national standards for the protection of public health and welfare.[3] | ” |
| —President Gerald Ford | ||
RCRA itself was an amendment to the earlier SWDA. The following amendments were made to RCRA subsequent to its passage in 1976:[4]
- Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984
- Federal Facilities Compliance Act of 1992
- Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996
Components
Hazardous waste
The law defined hazardous waste as waste "with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment." Under RCRA, the EPA was authorized to manage hazardous waste treatment and disposal "from the moment it is generated; while it is transported, treated, or stored; until the moment it is finally disposed." The law established the following requirements for the disposal process:[4]
- Identification and classification of hazardous waste
- Recycling of hazardous waste
- Requirements for facilities that generate hazardous waste
- Requirements for the transport of hazardous waste
- Requirements for hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF)
- Restrictions on land disposal of hazardous waste
- Restrictions on combustion of hazardous waste
- Permitting
- Corrective action protocols for "the cleanup of any contaminated air, ground water, or soil" resulting from a hazardous waste spill
- Enforcement by EPA or state governments authorized by EPA
Solid waste
Solid waste was defined by RCRA as follows:[4]
- "Garbage (e.g., milk cartons and coffee grounds)"
- "Refuse (e.g., metal scrap, wall board, and empty containers)"
- "Sludges from waste treatment plants, water supply treatment plants, or pollution control facilities (e.g., scrubber slags)"
- "Industrial wastes (e.g., manufacturing process wastewaters and non-wastewater sludges and solids)"
- "Other discarded materials, including solid, semisolid, liquid, or contained gaseous materials resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, agricultural, and community activities (e.g., boiler slags)"
Regulatory authority over non-hazardous solid waste treatment and disposal was vested largely with state and local governments.[4]
Reports
National Hazardous Waste Biennial Report
The EPA produces biennial reports detailing hazardous waste generation, management and disposal in the United States. The first such report was produced in 1991. The tables below highlight key figures from these reports from 1991 and 2011.[5]
| Hazardous waste in the United States, 1991-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Hazardous waste quantity generated (in tons) | Large quantity generators |
| 1997 | 40,676,075 | 20,316 |
| 1999 | 40,026,050 | 20,083 |
| 2001 | 40,821,481 | 18,135 |
| 2003 | 30,176,118 | 15,584 |
| 2005 | 38,347,011 | 14,984 |
| 2007 | 46,693,284 | 14,549 |
| 2009 | 35,331,398 | 14,710 |
| 2011 | 34,334,072 | 14,262 |
| Difference from 1997 to 2011 | 6,342,003 | 6,054 |
| Percent difference from 1997 to 2011 | -15.59% | -29.80% |
| Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Documents and Data," accessed August 11, 2014 | ||
| Hazardous waste managed under RCRA, 1991-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Hazardous waste quantity managed under RCRA (in tons) | Number of RCRA treatment, storage and disposal facilities |
| 1997 | 37,723,129 | 2,025 |
| 1999 | 26,309,296 | 1,575 |
| 2001 | 45,427,018 | 756 |
| 2003 | 42,095,559 | 566 |
| 2005 | 43,923,861 | 527 |
| 2007 | 50,482,925 | 516 |
| 2009 | 38,602,232 | 460 |
| 2011 | 39,027,932 | 404 |
| Difference from 1997 to 2011 | 1,304,803 | -1,621 |
| Percent difference from 1997 to 2011 | 3.46% | -80.05% |
| Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Documents and Data," accessed August 11, 2014 | ||
See also
External links
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "RCRA Orientation Manual 2011"
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2011 Data)"
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)," accessed August 11, 2014
- ↑ The American Presidency Project, "Gerald Ford - Statement on Signing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976," October 22, 1976
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "RCRA Orientation Manual 2011," accessed August 11, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report: Documents and Data," accessed August 11, 2014
