EPA Offers Industrial-Strength
Tool for Managing Industrial-Size Waste Disposal
By
Judy Kane
|
What
Users Are Saying
"Good
work!,"--Marianne Lamont Horinko, Clay Associates
"What
a great resource. Thank you so much." --Mary McCullough,
McKenna & Cuneo
"This
is a wonderful tool, one I have been wanting a long time."--Amy
Porter, Bureau of National Affairs
|
The
Environmental Protection Agency has opened a new website that
will help companies that must comply with the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) as well as those federal workers who must
enforce the law.
This
1976 law and its amendments deal with how to safely manage and
dispose of the huge volumes of non-hazardous and hazardous waste
generated nationwide.
EPA’s
Office of Solid Waste (OSW) has developed RCRA
Online, a full-text, electronic database of more than 2,000
selected letters, and memoranda covering nearly 20 years. These
documents cover the management of all wastes regulated under RCRA.
The database also has information about voluntary programs and
special initiatives. OSW plans to update the database regularly.
How
the Database Works
Users
can locate, view, and print the actual text of the documents they
find through topical, full-text and advanced search functions.
Here's how the search works:
- You
can search for topics, which is the simplest way. You'll find
a wide range of topics such as air emissions, closure, and
variances.
- You
can type in a keyword or so to conduct a full-text search.
You can limit the number of documents the database will find
and also search for word variants, synonyms or related words.
For example, the word "gas" will also locate documents with
the words "vapor", "fumes" and "helium."
- You
can launch an advanced search if you know specific criteria.
These include date, author, recipient, title, statutory and
regulatory citation, fax-on-demand code, RCRA Permit Policy
Compendium number (RPPC), National Technical Information Service
(NTIS) number or EPA Document Number. The advanced search
function also allows searches by keyword or keywords.
The
RCRA Permit Policy Compendium used to be a separate database,
but OSW consolidated it into RCRA Online, saving EPA valuable
resources and users considerable time.
Who
Needs It and Why?
Managing
municipal and industrial waste is no small task, and that's why
the new website is getting a positive review by government permit
writers, corporate compliance officers and others. For example,
it would be helpful to a businessman who is opening a tannery
and needs a permit for a waste disposal site. A city planner could
research letters, rulings and other documents to determine whether
a rule applies to her jurisdiction. A lawyer representing a company
involved in a waste disposal lawsuit could access background information
and documents to help develop his litigation strategy.
Brochure
Available
OSW
has also prepared a brochure (EPA 530-F-98-022) that describes
RCRA Online in further detail. To order it, call the RCRA, Superfund
& EPCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or (703) 412-9810 in the
Washington, DC area.
About
the Author
Judy
Kane is a project officer for EPA's Office of Solid Waste. You
may reach her at (703) 308-7893 or kane.judy@epamail.epa.gov.
April
6, 1999