ABSTRACT
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted in 1976 tomanage the large volumes of municipal and industrial solid waste being generat-ed. The RCRA homepage developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be found at https://www.epa.gov.osw. RCRA’s goals are to protect humans and the environment from waste exposure; to conserve energy and natural resources using recycling and waste recovery techniques; to reduce waste generation; and to ensure that wastes are properly managed. 1
RCRA is broken down into four distinct categories. Subtitle C establishes a system for controlling hazardous waste from the point of generation to the ultimate disposal, often called the “cradle to grave” system. Subtitle D establishes systems for controlling solid or non-hazardous waste, such as household waste. Subtitle I regulates the underground tank storage of toxic substances and petroleum products <https://www.epa.gov/epaowser/hotline/ust.htm>; and Subtitle J deals with medical waste <https://www.epa.gov/epaowser/other/medical/index.htm>.2 The framework of hazardous waste management regulations is established under Subtitle C of RCRA. This regulatory framework was designed to protect human health and the environment from improper management of hazardous materials.
