Did you ever say to yourself; I wish there was a handbook for that? Handbooks are designed to provide a convenient reference or instruction about a particular subject. Handbooks come in many forms which can make life easier for employees, students, and new vehicle owners. But in some cases, handbooks provide guidance to more serious subjects other than just learning how to set the channel lineup on your car stereo for example. With that being said, if your business generates hazardous waste, I have the perfect handbook for you that has been prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It was designed to help small-business owners and operators understand how best to comply with federal hazardous waste management regulations.
What is it?
This handbook provides a general overview of the federal hazardous waste management regulations and will give you a basic understanding of your responsibilities when generating and managing hazardous waste for small businesses. On a side-note, this handbook should not be used as a substitute for the actual requirements, but it does provide an outline and can act as a guide to assist you in understanding the regulations. The setup of the handbook is relatively easy to follow, as words or phrases that appear in bold red text throughout the guide are defined in an “Abbreviations and Definitions” section located on the last page. In addition, the handbook contains a chart that displays a wide variety of industries and different hazardous wastes that may be generated by each, along with different waste codes. The handbook has a side by side chart that explains in detail the requirements for both containers and tanks containing hazardous waste. The link to the full handbook can be found below:
Do I Need to Follow The Federal Hazardous Waste Regulations?
Federal hazardous waste management regulations apply to most businesses that generate hazardous waste. To determine if these regulations apply to your business, you must first determine if you even generate hazardous waste. This handbook along with the federal hazardous waste regulations located in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 260 to 299 will help you identify your hazardous waste as well as help you determine your generator category to learn the management requirements that apply to you. Keep in mind many implementing agencies, for example, states, have their own hazardous waste regulations based on the federal hazardous waste regulations. Some implementing agencies utilize the federal requirements and definitions while others go above and beyond and have developed more stringent requirements. If your implementing agency has developed stricter requirements than the Federal Regulations, you must comply with the more stringent of the regulations. To familiarize yourself with your local requirements, consult your implementing hazardous waste agency at the link below:
https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/links-hazardous-waste-programs-and-us-state-environmental-agencies
If you are looking for hazardous waste training, we offer that here at ICC The Compliance Center at the link below, or feel free to call us at 1-888-442-9628.
https://www.thecompliancecenter.com/store/us/wb-hazwaste.html
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