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Disposal
At the federal level, land disposal of non-hazardous solid waste is regulated primarily under the authority of Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA was enacted in 1976 to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, conserve energy and natural resources, and reduce the amount of waste generated.
State environmental agencies are the primary implementers of the solid waste program. Subtitle D requires states to develop permitting programs to ensure facility compliance with the federal regulations, which are described below. All Region 5 states have received approval for their Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Permit programs.
This page provides links to non-EPA web sites that provide additional information about disposal of solid waste and recycling. You will leave the EPA.gov domain and enter another page with more information. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information on that non-EPA page. Providing links to a non-EPA Web site is not an endorsement of the other site or the information it contains by EPA or any of its employees. Also, be aware that the privacy protection provided on the EPA.gov domain (see Privacy and Security Notice) may not be available at the external link. 
Click here for Current Projects and examples of Previous Disposal Projects and Grants.
Disposal Programs
Federal Regulations for Land Disposal
Michigan-Canada Transboundary Waste Project & Landfill Management Documents
Illegal Dumping
Scrap Tire Management
Combustion and Incineration
Federal Regulations for Combustion and Incineration
Federal Regulations for Land Disposal Facilities:
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills:
40 CFR Part 258 - Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (MSWLFs)
The 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA led to the promulgation of minimum standards for locating, designing, operating, and closing a municipal solid waste landfill. Regulations were also issued under the Clean Air Act to control non-methane organic air emissions from municipal solid waste landfills.
Facilities that accept Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator Waste:
40 CFR Part 257, Subpart B - Disposal standards for the receipt of conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) wastes at non-municipal, non-hazardous waste disposal units. Businesses that produce small amounts of hazardous waste, known as conditionally exempt small quantity generators may dispose of their waste in solid waste disposal facilities. Part 257, Subpart B criteria contain standards for non-municipal land disposal units that accept this waste (municipal landfills that accept this waste must meet 40 CFR Part 258 requirements described above). These criteria address location restrictions, requirements for monitoring of groundwater, and corrective action provisions to clean up any contamination.
All other solid waste land disposal facilities:
40 CFR Part 257 Subpart A - Criteria for Classification of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities and Practices
These general performance standards were issued in 1979 prior to the more comprehensive requirements described above. These standards apply to waste piles, surface impoundments, and industrial non-hazardous waste landfills. These criteria establish standards for determining whether these solid waste facilities are protective of human health and the environment. Facilities that fail to meet these standards are classified as "open dumps". The criteria provide the basis for enforcing the prohibition on "open dumps" and may be used by citizen suits in federal court.
All Region 5 states have received approval for their Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Permit programs. The notices were published in the Federal Register, and are available below or from your local library.
The following document provided by EPA is an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format ( PDF) file. For more information about PDFs, visit the About PDF page.
Illinois |
1/3/94, Volume 59, No. 1, page 86 (TXT, 11K) |
Indiana |
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Michigan |
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Minnesota |
8/16/93, Volume 58, No. 156, page 43350 (TXT, 16K) |
Ohio |
6/13/94, Volume 59, FR Doc. 94-14283 (TXT, 17K) |
Wisconsin |
Michigan-Canada Transboundary Waste Project & Landfill Management Documents
Transboundary Movement of Municipal Solid Waste Comprehensive Inspection Report
Best Management Practices for Solid Waste Landfills in Michigan
Best Management Practices for Solid Waste Generators in Michigan
Best Management Practices for Solid Waste Transfer Stations in Michigan
Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping continues to be a persistent problem in Region 5 because it threatens human health and the environment, imposes significant costs on communities, and has an adverse effect on quality of life. Region 5 has been active in supporting prevention efforts for illegal dumping in several urban and rural areas. These projects have arisen in response to requests from community groups, local governments and regional managers in charge of geographic initiative areas.
Scrap TiresIllegal Dumping Prevention Project
The Region 5 Illegal Dumping Prevention Project was established to exchange information and establish partnerships to develop and implement strategies to combat illegal dumping. The overall goal of this effort is to add value to local efforts to prevent and mitigate illegal dumping. Useful resources include the Guidebook and the Illegal Dumping Economic Assessment (IDEA) model.
City of Detroit Midnight Dumping Task Force
The City is working collaboratively with Region 5, Michigan DEQ, the 36th District Court and community groups to reduce environmental crime. The project consists of extensive community outreach and environmental crimes training for police officers and judges. The outreach program links community organizations to police precincts report and identifies illegal dumpers. Officers assigned to work on environmental crimes receive in-depth training about a new state civil infraction penalty that allows for fines of up to $5000/offense.
City of Gary Illegal Dumping Prevention Task Force
The City is working with Region 5, Indiana DEM, and local community development centers to conduct pilot projects in two neighborhoods to prevent illegal dumping. The project involves conducting clean ups and experimenting with different approaches to keep sites clean. In addition, local schools have made signs and posters aimed at cleaning up neighborhoods and catching illegal dumpers. Local community police officers have worked closely with residents to catch hundreds of offenders, confiscate vehicles, impose heavy fines and force offenders to clean sites up. The pilot project is expanding to involve the entire City of Gary.
Hiawatha National Forest - U.S. Forest Service
Region 5 partnered with the Forest Service to complete an inventory of illegal dumpsites in the Hiawatha National Forest to establish a baseline by which to measure clean up and prevention activities. A database and GIS-based map was developed using the information from the inventory. In addition, a comprehensive prevention plan was established involving outreach and education, clean-up, enforcement and ongoing measurement activities. This plan was shared with environmental organizations, local forestry companies and other federal, state and local governments.
The states in Region 5 are actively addressing scrap tire management.
Combustion and Incineration
To reduce waste volume, local governments or private operators can implement a controlled burning process called combustion or incineration. In addition to minimizing volume, combustors, when properly equipped, can convert water into steam to fuel heating systems or generate electricity.
For additional links and information on combustion and incineration...
Federal Regulations for Combustion and Incineration
40 CFR Part 60
Hazardous Waste Combustion Standards and Toolkit