Chapter 5 - Managing Hazardous Waste
Materials are classified as hazardous waste based on the manner in which they are disposed and the hazards their disposal will present to human health and safety, as well as potential environmental damage. For a chemical to become a hazardous waste, it must first meet the regulatory definition of "Solid Waste".
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a Solid Waste as any “garbage, refuse, sludge and other discarded material” including:
- Solids
- Liquids
- Semisolids
- Contained gaseous materials
resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations.
The definition of Solid Waste has more to do with the disposition of the material, rather than the physical state of the material.
Hazardous Waste: A solid waste is classified as a hazardous waste if it is “listed” or has a “hazardous characteristic” as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 261, and 6 New York Codes of Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) 371. Hazardous wastes all have their own identification codes. For example; D001 is the code for characteristic Ignitable wastes, while F001 is the code for listed spent solvents used in degreasing operations.