EPA to Analyze Environmental Justice Impacts of Waste Definition Rule

Date: April 12, 2011

Source: News Room

The EPA says it will accompany its new proposed definition of solid waste (DSW) proposal with an analysis of its environmental justice impacts. Mathy Stanislaus, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste & Emergency Response, told the Environmental Council of the States during its spring meeting March 29 that the upcoming proposal, which would exempt some wastes from strict regulation to encourage recycling, will be accompanied by an environmental justice analysis, "to look at some potential environmental justice issues with respect to the definition of solid waste." The agency sent its proposed rule change to the White House for review earlier this month. The rulemaking seeks to revise a Bush-era measure that environmentalists had challenged. The effort to craft a new definition has long been controversial to activists and industry alike. Many industry groups feel the definition needs to be clarified to increase industry options to reuse and recycle waste streams and to remove potential liability in doing so. But many environmentalists and environmental justice advocates worry that a definition that expands the scope of "solid" wastes would increase loosely regulated "sham" recycling operations, which are disproportionally located in poor and minority communities, potentially exposing nearby residents to hazardous substances. Nevertheless, Stanislaus said the agency is on track to release the proposal on June 20.

See also: "EPA Sends Solid Waste Definition Rule to White House for Review," (www.wasteinfo.com/news/wbj20110329A.htm).

Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin