Tougher Regulations for Bulkier Waste

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is changing regulations regarding the disposal of hazardous waste.

According to whattheythink.com, the print industry needs to pay attention to the new regulations as the new standards not only apply to those who regularly generate large volumes of waste. It is clear that those who generate small or irregular waste will also be subject to new “generator standards.”

The SGIA, PIA and FTA, three agencies of the EPA, discussed the details of the regulation changes in a webinar. The new rules focus on the waste generation program, what generators of hazardous waste need to do, and procedures and requirements for various kinds of waste.

The EPA categorizes generators into: Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQG), or those that generate less than 27 gallons of hazardous waste per month (this is a category that was renamed; it had been called “conditionally exempt”); Small Quantity Generators (SQG), who generate 27 to 275 gallons per month; and Large Quantity Generators (LQG), who generate more than 275 gallons per month. (The quantities are also measured in drums, pounds, or kilograms.)

In a nutshell, the regulations are tougher for larger volume of waste.

The revision allegedly make it easier for generators to identify the procedures they need to follow. There were altogether more than 60 changes made to the generator standards.