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Please note: This summary is provided to help you understand the regulations. Consult the references provided for links to the full text of the regulations.

Service Functions » Fuel » Waste Disposal

TERC contains information on the following topics related to waste disposal:

Antifreeze Summary Full Text
Batteries Summary Full Text
Brake Fluid Summary Full Text
Hazardous Waste Summary Full Text
Hazardous Waste Determination Summary Full Text
Locomotive Coolant Discharge Summary Full Text
Metalworking Fluids Summary Full Text
Ocean Dumping Summary Full Text
Oil, Used Summary Full Text
Oil Filters, Used Summary Full Text
Pesticides Summary Full Text
Recycling Summary Full Text
Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) Summary Full Text
Tires Summary Full Text
Universal Waste Summary Full Text
Used Fluids (Brake, Transmission, & Power Steering) Summary Full Text
Vessel General Permit Summary Full Text
Vessel Sewage Discharge Summary Full Text

Antifreeze
Applies to: Any business that generates or accumulates used antifreeze
Requires: Hazardous waste regulations may apply to storage and disposal
See also:
  • Airport Deicing Rule
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Batteries
    Applies to: Any facility that collects or stores spent batteries
    Requires:

    Batteries are hazardous wastes, but can be handled according to special rules intended to make them easier to recycle. Batteries must not be leaking, must be marked as waste, and must not be accumulated indefinitely.

    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Universal Waste
  • Brake Fluid
    Applies to: Any facility that generates or accumulates brake fluid
    Requires: Facilities must store and transport brake fluid according to specific regulations to avoid falling under more stringent hazardous waste regulations
    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Oil, Used
  • Hazardous Waste
    Applies to: Anyone who generates more than 100 kilograms per month of hazardous waste, or more than 1 kilogram per month of certain acutely hazardous wastes. (These limits may be lower in some states.)
    Requires: Registration with EPA as a hazardous waste generator; compliance with rules for storage and disposal of wastes; for large quantities, reporting of quantities generated to EPA every two years
    See also:
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
  • Universal Waste

  • Hazardous Waste Determination
    Applies to: Anyone who generates more than 100 kilograms per month of waste that may potentially be classified as a "hazardous waste" under federal or state law. (May also apply to as little as 1 kilogram per month for certain "acutely hazardous wastes.")
    Requires: Businesses are required to determine whether their wastes should be classified as "hazardous" under the regulations. Incorrect classification is a major factor contributing to violations and fines in the transportation sector.
    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
  • Universal Waste

  • Locomotive Coolant Discharge
    Applies to: Any discharge of locomotive coolant falls under the rules that apply to the discharge of any industrial wastewater.
    Requires: Wastewater discharged from locomotive cooling systems must be hauled to an appropriate treatment facility, or a permit must be obtained, either from local authorities to discharge to a municipal sewer system, or from the EPA to discharge directly to the environment.
    See also:
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)
  • Metalworking Fluids
    Applies to: Any facility that carries out machining operations
    Requires: Hazardous waste regulations may apply to storage and disposal
    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Cleaning, Solvent
  • Ocean Dumping
    Applies to: Any person or business must obtain a permit to dispose of wastes at sea
    Requires: Only a limited list of materials may be disposed of at sea, and a permit is required
    See also:
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)
  • Vessel General Permit (VGP)
  • Vessel Sewage Discharge
  • Oil, Used
    Applies to: Any facility that generates or accumulates used oil products, including lubricants, brake fluid, hydraulic fluids, and oil-based machining fluids
    Requires: Facilities must store and transport used oil according to specific regulations to avoid falling under more stringent hazardous waste regulations
    See also:
  • Diesel Fuel Storage Tanks
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Spills and Leaks, Prevention (SPCC rule)
  • Spills and Leaks, Reporting
  • Tanks, Underground
  • Oil Filters, Used
    Applies to: Any business that generates or accumulates used oil filters
    Requires: Facilities must drain used filters and follow specific rules (which may vary from state to state) to avoid having to manage used oil filters under more stringent hazardous waste regulations
    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Oil, Used
  • Pesticides
    Applies to: Anyone that uses and/or disposes of pesticides
    Requires: Use and disposal of pesticides is regulated by federal and state law
    See also:
  • Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Universal Waste
  • Recycling
    Applies to: Any facility that generates any of a wide variety of solid wastes, including corrugated cardboard and wooden pallets
    Requires: Recycling is generally voluntary (except in a few cities), but can be beneficial economically and can contribute to a positive public perception
    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Hazardous Waste Determination
  • Universal Waste
  • Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA)
    Applies to:

    The basic federal law regulating solid and hazardous waste disposal

    Requires:

    Facilities must determine whether their waste is classified as "hazardous" according to federal and state regulations, and if so must handle and dispose of it accordingly

    See also:
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Universal Waste
  • Tires
    Applies to: All businesses, such as truck maintenance facilities, that accumulate waste tires
    Requires: Waste tire storage and disposal requirements are regulated at the state and local level, and may differ from one location to another. The full text contains a state-by-state summary of regulations.
    See also:
    Universal Waste
    Applies to: Anyone who disposes of several common waste products, including batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment, and fluorescent light bulbs
    Requires: Universal waste regulations (similar to but less stringent than hazardous waste regulations) apply to storage and disposal
    See also:
  • Batteries
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Hazardous Waste Determination
  • Pesticides
  • Used Fluids (Brake, Transmission, & Power Steering)
    Applies to: Any facility that stores or disposes of brake, transmission, or power steering fluids
    Requires: These fluids are regulated like used oil
    See also:
  • Oil, Used
  • Vessel General Permit
    Applies to: Any vessel 79 feet in length or greater, except for military and recreational vessels; applies also to any non-recreational vessel under 79 feet that discharges ballast water into U.S. waters
    Requires: Vessel owners and operators must comply with requirements that include: assuring their discharges meet effluent limits, taking corrective actions to fix permit violations, and keeping and reporting records of inspections and monitoring data
    See also:
  • Ballast Water & Invasive Species
  • Bilgewater
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)
  • Graywater
  • Ocean Dumping
  • Vessel Sewage Discharge
  • Vessel Sewage Discharge
    Applies to: Any vessel with an installed toilet operating in U.S. waters
    Requires: Discharge must meet standards limiting bacterial level and solids content; discharge of sewage is prohibited entirely in some sensitive locations.
    See also:
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)
  • Vessel General Permit (VGP)
  • TERC Home