EPA to Develop Pharmaceutical Waste Rule under RCRA

Date: October 15, 2012

Source: News Room

The US EPA has articulated plans to develop a rule for ensuring the safe disposal of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (HWP) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) instead of adding the provisions to its universal waste rule as previously proposed. Mathy Stanislaus, head of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) wrote a letter to the agency's Office of Inspector General (IG) saying his agency would "propose a rule designed to facilitate proper management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals in the health care industry. We anticipate proposing a rule in August 2013." His agency also plans to review if any existing pharmaceuticals should qualify for regulation as hazardous waste. A report by EPA's IG in May found eight chemicals in pharmaceuticals that meet EPA's criteria for regulation as acute hazardous waste currently not being regulated as such and notes more than 100 drugs that federal occupational safety organizations have identified as hazardous that EPA has yet to review.

See also: "EPA Considers New Pharmaceutical Waste Rules," (www.wasteinfo.com/news/wbj20120509J.htm), May 2, 2012.

Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin