Purpose: This act regulates the handling of hazardous waste sites for the protection of human health and the environment. RCRA amended earlier legislation (the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965), but the amendments were so comprehensive that the Act is commonly called RCRA rather than its official title. RCRA gave EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "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. The 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). The Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) are the 1984 amendments 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.

Applicability: Any project that takes right-of-way containing hazardous waste. Hazardous Waste Management and Standards for Owners and Operators (40-CFR-260-265) applies to projects that require excavation of hazardous waste. Covers Federal guidelines for removing and transporting hazardous waste. Excavation of soils that have contamination has to be judged against these standards:

Identification and listing of hazardous waste
Standards applicable to generators of hazardous waste
Standards applicable to transporters of hazardous waste

Standards for Management and Disposal Facilities (40 CFR 266-271) - This section of the Federal rule delegates authority to the State for hazardous waste management and underground storage tank programs.

Environmental Skip Navigation LinksMerger Process Laws This list contains Merger Process Laws and descriptions.

Environmental
Skip Navigation LinksMerger Process Laws

This list contains Merger Process Laws and descriptions.