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Hazardous Waste Identification Studies
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Solvents Study (PDF) (52 pp, 545K) | Text Version (text file)
This is a final report of the study on spent solvents under taken as a result of a consent decree between the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The study discusses the wastes associated with the use of the materials as solvents, the toxicity of the wastes, and the management practices for the wastes. The chemicals included in this study are diethylamine, aniline, ethylene oxide, allyl chloride, 1,4-dioxane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, and bromoform. In addition, this reports discusses the methodology used for the solvents industry study.
Study of Selected Petroleum Refining Residuals
Part 1 (PDF) (49 pp, 275K) | Part 2 (PDF) (51 pp, 259K) | Part 3 (PDF) (60 pp, 301K) | Text Version (text file)
The EPA is directed in section 3001(e)(2) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. §6921 (e)(2)) to determine whether to list, as hazardous,a number of different waste residuals including those generated by the petroleum refining industry. A lawsuit by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in 1989 resulted in a consent decree approved by the court, that sets out an extensive series of deadlines for making the listing determinations required by Section 3001 (e)(2). With respect to the petroleum refining industry, the consent decree identifies 14 specific waste residuals for which the Agency must make listing determinations and an additional 15 waste residuals for which the Agency must conduct a study. This report is the result of the Agency's study of the 15 study residuals.
The document describes EPA's approach to conducting the industry study required by the EDF/EPA consent decree and characterizes the study residuals and how they are managed. The report includes a discussion of the concentration of toxic constituents in each waste, the volume of each waste generated, and the management practices for each waste (including plausible mismanagement practices).
This is a technical study of certain residuals generated during petroluem operations. It represents only a first step in an assessment of whether or not these materials should be considered hazardous waste. The Agency would need to conduct a much more detailed risk assessment before any further action would be undertaken.