ABSTRACT
The regulatory considerations that affect metal recycling consist principally of the pollution control measures for management of our water supplies and the hazardous waste handling regulations of the federal and state governments. In addition, there are tax laws governing the transport and management of raw materials, scrap, and recycled materials that can provide either barriers or incentives favoring recovery and recycling of waste metals. The chapter explores regulatory considerations relevant to metal recycling. There are several recent publications which deal comprehensively with the legal aspects of hazardous waste management. Initial guidance can be sought by contacting the appropriate state environmental agency, the appropriate Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional office, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act/Superfund hotline. The characteristics which determine classification as hazardous by the EPA: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and EP toxicity. EP toxicity is a two-step process determined by laboratory analysis in which a sample of the waste is extracted and the extract is analyzed for contaminant concentration.
