Universal
Waste State Resources Locator
Universal
Wastes
Universal
wastes are hazardous wastes that are more common and
pose a lower risk to people and the environment than
other hazardous wastes. Federal and state regulations
identify universal wastes and provide simple rules for
handling, recycling, and disposing of them. Examples
of universal wastes include:
- spent
batteries,
- waste
pesticides,
- used
fluorescent lamps, and
- used
mercury-containing thermostats.
The
actual list of universal wastes in your state may include
these items and/or different wastes.
All
universal wastes are hazardous wastes and, without the
new rules, they would have to be managed under the same
stringent standards as other hazardous wastes. Also, universal
wastes are generated by a wide variety of people rather
than by the industrial businesses that primarily generate
other hazardous wastes.
As with
hazardous waste generators, businesses that generate universal
wastes are divided into categories, depending on the quantity
of universal waste they accumulate. Most states recognize
two categories:
- Small
quantity handler of universal waste (does not accumulate
11,000 pounds or more).
- Large
quantity handler of universal waste (accumulates 11,000
pounds or more).
Like in
most federal environmental legislation, EPA encourages states
to develop and run their own hazardous waste programs as an
alternative to direct EPA management. With universal waste
rules, more state-specific differences exist than with most
other environmental regulations because:
- State
adoption of the 1995 federal universal waste rule is
optional because the rule is less stringent than the
previous hazardous waste requirements under RCRA.
- States
can create different standards (except for batteries
due to the Battery
Act ), but they have to be equivalent to the federal
regulations (i.e., they must provide equivalent protection,
cannot regulate fewer handlers, etc.)
- States
may adopt the entire rule or certain provisions, which
are:
- General
provisions
- Provisions
for batteries, pesticides, thermostats, and lamps
(states do not have to include all of them).
- Provisions
allowing the addition of new universal wastes in
states.
The universal
waste rule went into effect immediately in states and territories
that are not RCRA-authorized including Iowa, Alaska, and Puerto
Rico. The purpose of this on-line tool is to provide quick
access to:
- state
regulations for universal wastes,
- contacts
at state environmental agencies that can answer your
questions, and
- resources
that can help achieve compliance.
Use the
pulldown or the sensitive map to find out more about the regulation
of universal wastes in your state.
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