EPA RCRA Plan Could Ease Efforts to Burn Solid Waste as Fuel

Date: December 25, 2008

Source: News Room

The EPA plans to begin a rulemaking to define non-hazardous solid waste under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) that could allow facilities to burn waste as fuel without being subject to stringent incinerator emission controls. The rule is important because the definition of non-hazardous solid waste was thrown into doubt by a June 2007 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which vacated EPA's air rules both for boilers and industrial solid waste incinerators. Industry groups argue that certain materials should be defined as fuels, including coal refuse, tire-derived fuel, biomass fuel such as wood and agricultural materials, biofuel and gas pipeline condensate. Other materials should be considered a fuel if they are handled properly, managed as a commodity or processed to enhance its fuel value.

To learn more, visit: www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WASTE/2008/December/Day-19/f29956.htm.

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