THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Introduction

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is a federal law, which encourages number of environmentally responsible methods for commercial, industrial waste, domestic and municipal sectors. It regulates different sectors which include hazardous waste, storage and their disposition along with transport.

The term "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act" is used interchangeably to mainly refer to the regulations, standards, laws and EPA guidance. The law mentioned above describes the waste management program approved by the Congress in detail and also gave the EPA the authority to develop the RCRA program. Guidance documents and policy directives clarify issues related to EPA's implementing regulations (Burdick, 2000).

What is a Hazardous Waste?

To be considered a hazardous waste, material must be classified first as a solid residue. The EPA defines solid waste as garbage, refuse, sludge or other discarded material (solid, semisolid, liquid and contained gaseous materials).

If the waste generated by a company is considered a solid waste, then company must determine if a hazardous waste is legal or not. The EPA defines as hazardous waste if they are explicitly mentioned in one of the four lists of hazardous waste (waste list), or if they have one of four characteristics (characteristic wastes). For each type of hazardous waste under RCRA is assigned a hazardous waste code only using the letters D, F, K, P or U and three digits (e.g., D001, F005 or P039).

Waste listings

These are listed as hazardous waste because they are known to be harmful to human health and the environment when not managed properly, regardless of their concentration. The lists include the following three types of waste:

Non Specific Source Wastes

These are material-specific waste such as solvents, which are generated by several different industries. Waste codes range from F001 to F039. Examples include methylene chloride and tri-chloro-ethylene generated (Schuck, 1991).

Wastes from specific sources

These industries are expressly waste residue codes ranging from K001 to K161. The vehicle maintenance shops typically do not generate waste from specific sources.

Discarded commercial chemical products

Off-specification products, waste containers, waste spills, or active ingredients that have been spilled or have not been used and have been discarded, or plan to discard are all part of discarded commercial chemical products. Waste codes range from P001 to P025 and U001 to U411.

Negligence

Like intentional torts, negligence engages and proceed that wrongfully violates a defended right in one's house or person.

However, opposing to intentional wrongs, negligence recounts unintentional tortuous actions that violate one's obligation to workout commonplace care under the attenuating components (also mentioned to as due care or sensible care).

The stage of care needed varies in relative to a sensible individual under the circumstances. For demonstration, lawful blame for a consignment person's going by car misfortune will count in part on if she was going by car sensibly under the attenuating components of the street, climate, and traffic. Most jurisdictions will contain professionals (like medical practitioners, solicitors, and accountants) to the sensible ability and information grade of somebody in ...