Date: June 29, 2009
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The US EPA will hold a public meeting on possible revisions to the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule on June 30 in order for stakeholders and members of the public to voice their opinions on the rule. The agency is considering measures that would make its controversial rule amending the definition of solid waste (DSW) under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) more stringent. In answer to critics, the agency, which finalized the rule late last year in an effort to promote recycling, is considering a more precise definition of how industry must "contain" recyclable materials in order to qualify for an exemption from strict hazardous waste requirements. Moreover, companies seeking to take advantage of the exemptions will likely need to notify the agency earlier and meet the definition of "legitimate" recycling.
See also: EPA Considers Measures to Toughen Definition of Solid Waste Rule (www.wasteinfo.com/news/wbj20090602C.htm).
EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Definition of Solid Waste
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting on possible revisions to the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule on June 30, 2009 at the EPA Potomac Yards Conference Center in Arlington, Va. The hearing is an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to voice their opinions on the rule.
The DSW rule modified the regulations for recycling hazardous secondary materials to encourage the reclamation of certain hazardous secondary materials to help conserve resources. Since publication of the DSW rule in December 2008, EPA received an administrative petition requesting reconsideration of the rule and a stay of implementation.
While EPA does not expect to repeal the final rule, the agency believes that there may be opportunities to revise or clarify the rule. In particular, the agency has identified several possible issues for discussion based on stakeholder concerns. These include issues affecting storage requirements, notification provisions, how "legitimate" recycling is determined, and how materials transferred to another party for recycling are regulated. EPA will consider written comments submitted during the public comment period with the same weight as oral comments presented during the public hearing.
WHO: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
WHAT: Definition of Solid Waste rule public meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (or until all interested parties have spoken)
WHERE: EPA Potomac Yards Conference Center, South Building, 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, Va.
EPA will webcast the public meeting. Please see the link below for more information.
More information on the public meeting: www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/dsw/publicmeeting.htm
Contact Information: Latisha Petteway, petteway.latisha@epa.gov, 202-564-3191, 202-564-4355.
Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin