RCRA Hazgen Permit Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants

RCRA Hazgen Permit Key Terms & Definitions

Acute Hazardous Waste: Hazardous waste that is regulated under more stringent requirements due to its potential to cause significant harm to human health or the environment even in small amounts or for a short duration of exposure. [40 C.F.R. §261.11(a)(2)]

Characteristic Hazardous Waste: Waste that is considered hazardous under RCRA because it exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. [40 C.F.R. Part 261 Subpart C]

Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG): A generator that produces less than 100 kg of hazardous waste per month and less than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste per month, and is exempt from most RCRA requirements, provided they comply with certain conditions. [40 C.F.R. §261.5]

Disposal: The discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any hazardous waste into or on any land or water in a manner that may allow the waste to enter the environment. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

EPA Identification (ID) Number: A unique number assigned by the EPA or an authorized state agency to facilities that generate, transport, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste, used to track hazardous waste activities and ensure compliance with RCRA regulations. [40 C.F.R. §262.12]

Generator: Any person, by site, whose act or process produces hazardous waste or whose act first causes a hazardous waste to become subject to regulation. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Hazardous Waste: A solid waste that is listed as hazardous or exhibits hazardous characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity) as defined in 40 C.F.R. Part 261.

Hazardous Waste Manifest: The shipping document originated and signed by the generator, used to track hazardous waste from the point of generation to the final disposal facility. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Hazardous Waste Transporter: A person engaged in the off-site transportation of hazardous waste by air, rail, highway, or water. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR): A program under RCRA that requires hazardous wastes to meet specific treatment standards before they can be disposed of on land. [40 C.F.R. Part 268]

Large Quantity Generator (LQG): A generator that produces 1,000 kg or more of hazardous waste per month, or more than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste per month, and is subject to the most stringent RCRA requirements. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Listed Hazardous Waste: Waste that is considered hazardous under RCRA because it is specifically listed in 40 C.F.R. Part 261 Subpart D due to its known hazardous properties or its origin from certain manufacturing processes.

Mixed Waste: Waste that contains both hazardous waste and source, special nuclear, or by-product material subject to the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). [40 C.F.R. §266.210]

RCRA: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the primary federal law governing the management of hazardous waste from generation to disposal.

Satellite Accumulation Area: An area at or near the point of generation where hazardous waste is initially accumulated, subject to specific volume and time limits. [40 C.F.R. §262.15]

Small Quantity Generator (SQG): A generator that produces between 100 kg and 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per month, and is subject to less stringent RCRA requirements compared to LQGs. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Solid Waste: Any discarded material, including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material, that is not specifically excluded under 40 C.F.R. §261.4(a). [40 C.F.R. §261.2]

Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP): A test method used to determine if a solid waste exhibits the characteristic of toxicity by simulating the leaching of contaminants in a landfill. [40 C.F.R. Part 261 Appendix II]

Treatment: Any method, technique, or process designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of hazardous waste to neutralize it, render it non-hazardous or less hazardous, or reduce its volume. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF): A facility that treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste and is subject to permitting requirements under RCRA. [40 C.F.R. Parts 264, 265, and 270]

Universal Waste: Specific hazardous wastes, such as batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment, and lamps, that are subject to streamlined collection and management standards to encourage recycling and proper disposal. [40 C.F.R. Part 273]

Used Oil: Any oil that has been refined from crude oil or any synthetic oil that has been used and, as a result of such use, is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. [40 C.F.R. §279.1]

Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG): A generator that produces less than 100 kg of hazardous waste per month and less than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste per month, previously known as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG). [40 C.F.R. §260.10]

Waste Minimization: The reduction, to the extent feasible, of hazardous waste that is generated or subsequently treated, stored, or disposed of, achieved through source reduction and recycling. [40 C.F.R. §260.10]