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RCRA's Critical Mission and the Path Forward

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RCRA's Critical Mission and the Path Forward PROTECTING COMMUNITIES • RESTORING LAND • CONSERVING RESOURCES RCRA’ S CRITICAL MISSION & THE PATH FORWARD Page | 1 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 2 RCRA IN A SNAPSHOT .................................................................................................................. 3 INTRODUCTION: TODAY, TOMORROW AND BEYOND.................................................................... 3 THE NEED FOR RCRA ............................................................................................................................................ 4 LAYING THE FOUNDATION ...................................................................................................................................... 5 RCRA’ S TRANSFORMATIONAL RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 5 RCRA’ S CONTINUING CHALLENGES ......................................................................................................................... 7 VISION FOR THE PROGRAM ...................................................................................................................................... 8 LOOKING AHEAD ................................................................................................................................................... 9 RCRA CLOSE-UP: EXISTING PROGRAMS AND CHALLENGES ......................................................... 10 PROTECTING COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................ 10 Hazardous Waste Management ............................................................................................................. 10 RCRA Permitting .................................................................................................................................... 11 Management of Unique Waste Streams ................................................................................................. 12 Long-term Stewardship ......................................................................................................................... 12 Strategic Planning and Disaster Response .............................................................................................. 13 CLEANING UP LAND AND WATER ........................................................................................................................... 14 RCRA Corrective Action program ........................................................................................................... 14 CONSERVING RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Sustainable Materials Management ....................................................................................................... 15 PARTNERING AND INNOVATING ............................................................................................................................. 18 Program Efficiency ................................................................................................................................. 18 Standardized Permits. .............................................................................................................................. 18 Lean. ........................................................................................................................................................ 19 Test Methods. .......................................................................................................................................... 19 E-Manifest ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Communicating in Today’s World ........................................................................................................... 20 RCRAInfo ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Social Media ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement and Strengthening Partnerships ................................................... 21 Communities ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Tribal Partnerships .................................................................................................................................. 22 International Collaboration ...................................................................................................................... 22 PATH FORWARD ........................................................................................................................ 24 Page | 1 Executive Summary The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program implemented by the EPA and its partner states, tribes and local governments, protects our communities and the environment from the threats of solid and hazardous waste, cleans up land and water, conserves resources, and empowers citizens by delivering information and opportunities that enable communities to participate in decision-making processes. Since it was enacted by Congress in 1976, the RCRA program has achieved remarkable improvements in the protection of human health and the environment as a result of more effective management of hazardous and solid wastes. RCRA has also facilitated commerce by providing manufacturers with the framework to safely treat, store and recycle or dispose of byproducts and/or waste. Large and small businesses have responded by investing capital, hiring top talent and building and developing the nation’s materials handling and waste management infrastructure to be among the best in the world. In keeping pace with the constantly evolving U.S. economy, the RCRA program has remained a dynamic and nimble program that continues to evolve to tackle new and emerging challenges in waste generation and management. While the RCRA waste management and cleanup program has established a solid foundation for protecting the nation’s health and the environment, its mission continues to evolve to meet waste management and cleanup challenges and leverage opportunities to integrate resource conservation into economic productivity. This document describes the role the RCRA program continues to play in protecting communities, restoring land and conserving resources across the nation. RCRA’s Continuing Challenges. At its core, RCRA is about protecting communities and resource conservation. To achieve this goal, EPA develops regulations, guidance and policies that ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste, and programs that encourage source reduction and beneficial reuse. This type of work remains critical to our environmental and economic future: there are wastes from new products and chemicals; emerging waste management technologies; unpredictable and unusual waste streams from an increasing number of natural and man-made disasters; and possible long-term legacy issues even when sites are “cleaned-up.” Natural resources are increasingly valuable; consumers expect a shift towards the use of less toxic, more environmentally-friendly materials in manufacturing and production operations; and manufacturers/producers need the flexibility to develop efficient, innovative and sustainable materials management solutions. EPA and the states have been integrating more-holistic resource and material management concepts within the permitting, cleanup and recycling aspects of the RCRA program. Addressing the full life cycle of materials, from raw material to final disposition, has become a critical focus of today’s RCRA program. For these reasons, the RCRA program remains vital to our society. RCRA establishes three distinct base programs: the hazardous waste program that establishes a system for controlling hazardous waste from “cradle to grave” including cleanup (Subtitle C); the solid waste program that encourages states to develop infrastructure to manage nonhazardous industrial solid and municipal solid waste (Subtitle D); and the underground storage tank (UST) program. * *This document does not discuss the UST program. Vision for the Program. A strong RCRA program is essential to prevent the problems and emergencies that have the potential to affect all of us: acute problems from waste spills and contamination of air and water from improperly managed or abandoned wastes. A strong RCRA program is also critical to realize the enormous economic potential including job creation associated with resource conservation, materials recovery and recycling. By properly and efficiently managing wastes, preventing contamination and conserving resources, a Page | 2 strong RCRA program protects people and resources, saves taxpayer money otherwise spent on cleanups, facilitates commerce, and provides for a strong economy. The vision for the RCRA program is to continue to safeguard communities and the environment; mitigate and clean up contamination; champion sustainable, lifecycle waste and material management approaches; and promote economic development (including job creation) and community
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