Brief review of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 1976

RCRA was built on the foundation of the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 and the Resource Recovery Act of 1970, and was developed to provide technical and financial assistance for the development of management plans and facilities for the recovery of energy and other resources from discarded materials, for the safe disposal of discarded materials, and to regulate the management of hazardous waste. EPA estimates that approximately 270,000 waste-generating facilities and 10,000 transporters will be regulated. Approximately 30,000 of that number will require treatment, storage, or disposal permits. Also under this Act, approximately 35 million metric tons/year of hazardous waste, mainly from industrial sources will be controlled. Another several hundred million tons/year of high-volume, relatively low risk waste, such as certain mining waste, will be brought under limited control pending further formulation of rules. (MCW)