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Identification and Description of Mineral Processing Sectors and Waste Streams - Final Technical Background Document
The purpose of this document is to describe EPA's review of mineral commodities that may generate hazardous wastes as defined by RCRA Subtitle C. These wastes and the facilities and commodity sectors that generate them may be affected by the establishment of Land Disposal Restrictions for mineral processing wastes. Through a series of rulemakings EPA has established and applied criteria to determine which mineral processing wastes are no longer exempt from Subtitle C regulation. These wastes are termed "newly identified" mineral processing wastes.
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- Executive Summary (PDF) (29 pp, 515K)
- Methods and Data Sources (PDF) (44 pp, 522K)
- Information Collection
- Review of In-House Data/Reports
- Electronic Literature Search
- Contacts with Bureau of Mines
- Review of Outside Data/Reports
- Identification and Analysis of Mineral Commodities
and Waste Streams Potentially Subject to RCRA Subtitle C
- Determining the Special Waste Status of Mineral Industry Wastes
- The Subtitle C "Mixture" Rule and Active Management - Co-Disposal and Disturbing Old Wastes Can Influence Regulatory Status
- Caveats and Limitations of Data Analysis
- Information Collection
- Mineral Commodities
- Individual Mineral Commodity Reviews
- Antimony, Arsenic Acid, Beryllium, Bismuth, Boron, Bromine (PDF) (103 pp, 1.4MB)
- Cadmium, Calcium Metal, Cesium and Rubidium, Chromium, Ferrochrome, and Ferrochrome-Silicon, Coal Gas, Copper (PDF) (110 pp, 1.41MB)
- Elemental Phosphorus, Fluorspar and Hydrofluoric Acid, Gemstones, Germanium, Gold and Silver, Iodine, Iron and Steel (PDF) (90 pp, 1.1MB)
- Lead, Lightweight Aggregate, Lithium and Lithium Carbonate, Magnesium and Magnesia, Manganese, Manganese Dioxide, Ferromanganese, and Siliconmanganese, Mercury (PDF) (110pp, 1.3MB)
- Molybdenum, Ferromolybdenum, and Ammonium Molybdate, Phosphoric Acid, Platinum Group Metals, Pyrobitumens, Mineral Waxes, and Asphalt (Natural), Rare Earths, Rhenium, Rutile (Synthetic) (PDF) (89 pp, 1.4MB)
- Scandium, Selenium Silicon and Ferrosilicon, Soda Ash, Sodium Sulfate, Strontium, Sulfur (PDF) (62 pp, 1.3MB)
- Tantalum, Columbium, and Ferrocolumbium, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium and Titanium Dioxide, Tungsten, Uranium (PDF) (96 pp, 1.3MB)
- Vanadium, Zinc, Zirconium and Hafnium (PDF) (52 pp, 811K)
- Individual Mineral Commodity Reviews
- Summary of Findings (PDF) (38 pp, 346K)
- Appendices (PDF) (55 pp, 608K)
- Detailed Explanations of Methodology Used to Estimate Annual Waste Generation Rates for Individual Waste Streams
- Work Sheet for Waste Stream Assessment of Recycling, Recovery, and Reuse Potential
- Definitions for Classifying Mineral Processing Waste Streams
- Recycling Work Sheets for Individual Mineral Processing Waste Streams
- Listing of Waste Streams Generated by Mineral Production Activities by Commodity
- Mineral Processing Sectors Generating Hazardous Wastes
- Mineral Processing Sectors Not Generating Hazardous Wastes
- List of Commenters