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RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Definition

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous wastes.

Additional Info

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1986 amendments to RCRA enabled EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. RCRA focuses only on active and future facilities and does not address abandoned or historical sites (see CERCLA). In 1984 the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) were added to RCRA that required phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste. Some of the other mandates of this strict law include increased enforcement authority for EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and a comprehensive underground storage tank program.

MSDS Relevance

Some of the information required by RCRA is the same information that is found in an MSDS. After all, a hazardous waste is generated after one uses a hazardous chemical. Therefore, one will sometimes find certain RCRA, TSCA and MSDS information in the same sources.

Books Available

• "The Complete Guide to Hazardous Waste Regulations: RCRA, TSCA, HTMA, EPCRA, and Superfund, 3rd Edition", Hardcover, 560 pages, 1999. Estimated price $80.00. Info and/or order.
• "Hazardous Waste Regulation Handbook : A Practical Guide to RCRA & Superfund", Paperback (ringbound), 1994. Estimated price $300.00. Info and/or order .

Further Reading

• View the U.S. Code, Title 42, Chapter 82 which is the full text of RCRA.
• A terrific summary of RCRA at The Committee for the National Institute for the Environment.
• A handy summary of RCRA at the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Free software for dealing with RCRA at EHSfreeware.

See also: ATSDR, CERCLA, EPCRA, TRI, SARA, TSCA.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate, however ILPI makes no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. ILPI strongly encourages the reader to consult the appropriate local, state and federal agencies concerning the matters discussed herein.