August, 1997 National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 1995 Data); Executive Summary The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the States (1), biennially collects information regarding the generation, management, and final disposition of hazardous wastes regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), as amended. The purpose of The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 1995 Data) is to communicate the findings of EPA's 1995 Biennial Reporting System (BRS) data collection efforts to the public, government agencies, and the regulated community (2). The Report consists of six volumes: o Executive Summary: An overview of national hazardous waste generation and management practices; o National Analysis: A detailed look at waste handling practices in the EPA Regions, the States, and at the largest facilities in the nation, including quantities of generation, management, shipments and receipts, and interstate imports and exports, as well as counts of generators and managers; o State Summary Analysis: A two-page overview of the generation and management practices of individual States; o State Detail Analysis: A detailed look at each State's waste handling practices, including overall totals for generation, management, and shipments and receipts, as well as totals for the largest fifty facilities; o List of Large Quantity Generators: Identifies every hazardous waste generator in the United States that reported itself to be a large quantity generator in 1995; and o List of Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities: Identifies every hazardous waste manager in the United States that reported itself to be a treatment, storage, or disposal facility in 1995. RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE Throughout this Report, the term RCRA hazardous waste refers to solid waste assigned a Federal hazardous waste code and regulated by RCRA, either because it was managed in a unit subject to RCRA permitting standards or because it was shipped and subject to RCRA transportation requirements. Individual States may choose to regulate additional wastes not identified as hazardous by EPA. Hazardous wastes assigned only a State hazardous waste code are not included in this Report. Similarly, hazardous wastes managed only in units subject to State permitting standards, or wastes that are managed only in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, are not included in this Report. RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION RCRA hazardous waste generation information is obtained from data reported by RCRA large quantity generators (LQGs). The RCRA hazardous waste generation quantities in this Report are limited to generation quantities that are managed in units subject to RCRA permitting standards. All hazardous waste generation reported to be managed on-site in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), is excluded from the RCRA generation quantities provided in this Report. Although some off-site shipments of hazardous waste may ultimately be managed in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, this determination cannot be made from information reported by the generator. Therefore, all hazardous waste generation shipped off-site is included in the RCRA generation quantities provided in this Report. Hazardous waste generators are included in this Report if they identified themselves as an LQG. It is important to note that the LQGs identified in this Report have been included on the basis of the best available and most current information provided electronically to EPA by the States. Both EPA and the States have made significant efforts to ensure the accuracy of these data. However, the LQG counts may include some generators that, when determining whether they were LQGs, used a lower State-defined threshold for LQGs, counted wastes regulated only by their States, or counted wastes that are exempt from Federal regulation. A generator was defined as a Federal large quantity generator in 1995 if it met or exceeded any one of the following Federal criteria: o The generator generated in any single month 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds or 1.1 tons) or more of RCRA hazardous waste; or o The generator generated in any single month, or accumulated at any time, 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of RCRA acute hazardous waste; or o The generator generated, or accumulated at any time, more than 100 kg (220 pounds) of spill cleanup material contaminated with RCRA acute hazardous waste. In 1995, 20,873 LQGs produced 214 million tons of hazardous waste regulated by RCRA. This is a decrease of 3,489 LQGs and a decrease of 44 million tons of waste compared to 1993. As identified in Exhibit 1, the five (5) States whose LQGs generated the largest amount of hazardous waste were Texas (69 million tons), Tennessee (39 million tons), Louisiana (17 million tons), Michigan (13 million tons), and lllinois (13 million tons). Together, the LQGs in these States accounted for 70% of the national total waste generated. Wastewater generation is identified in BRS by the use of certain form codes, or by waste management in units typically associated with wastewater management (i.e., management in aqueous treatment units, neutralization tanks, underground injection wells, or other wastewater management systems). See Chapter 1, Waste Generation, of the National Analysis, for a list of the form codes and system type codes used to identify wastewater. (A complete list of system type codes can be found in Appendix A of the National Analysis, and a complete list of form codes can be found in Appendix B of the National Analysis.) In 1995, wastewater generation accounted for 95% of the national generation total, while in 1993, wastewater generation accounted for 92% percent of the national generation total. Overall, total hazardous waste generation decreased from 258 million tons in 1993 to 214 million tons in 1995. Wastewater generation decreased from 237 million tons in 1993 to 202 million tons in 1995, and non-wastewater generation decreased from 22 million tons in 1993 to over 11 million tons in 1995. In comparing 1995 data with those of earlier Reports, it is important to note that many new wastes were captured by RCRA in 1990 with the promulgation of the Toxicity Characteristic (TC) Rule. The TC Rule added 25 new hazardous waste codes (D018 to D043) and required more stringent analytical tests for the presence of toxic constituents in waste. For 1995, these codes captured, at a minimum, 63 million tons of wastes not regulated before 1990. An additional 42 million tons were described by D018 to D043 when mixed with other waste codes. This suggests that, in 1995, the new toxicity characteristic wastes captured as much as 105 million tons of wastes not regulated before 1990. In contrast, the 1993 data reported as much as 135 million tons of waste not regulated before 1990. RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT RCRA hazardous waste management information is obtained from data reported by RCRA treatment, storage, or disposal facilities (TSDs). The RCRA hazardous waste management quantities in this Report are limited to waste that was received or generated by a reporting TSD and managed at the reporting TSD in treatment units subject to RCRA permitting standards. All hazardous wastes either received for transfer shipment or managed at a reporting TSD in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted by the NPDES, are excluded from the RCRA management quantities provided in this Report. Note that the total quantity of RCRA hazardous waste generation does not equal the total quantity of hazardous waste management. Some of the reasons for this variance include: off-year generation (generation that occurred at the end of a non-biennial reporting year, but was shipped off-site for management during a reporting year) and wastes received for management from generators in foreign countries. In 1995, 1,983 TSDs subject to RCRA permitting standards managed 208 million tons of hazardous waste. This represents a 601 facility decrease in the number of TSDs and a 27 million ton decrease in the amount of waste managed as compared to 1993. As identified in Exhibit 2, the five (5) States whose TSDs managed the largest quantities of hazardous wastes were Texas (75 million tons), Tennessee (39 million tons), Louisiana (18 million tons), Michigan (14 million tons), and California (14 million tons). Together, the TSDs in these States accounted for 77% of the national total waste managed. Wastewater management is identified in BRS by the use of certain form codes or by waste management in units typically associated with wastewater management (i.e., management in aqueous treatment units, neutralization tanks, underground injection wells, or other wastewater management systems). See Chapter 2, Waste Management, of the National Analysis, for a list of the form codes and system type codes used to identify wastewater. (A complete list of system type codes can be found in Appendix A of the National Analysis, and a complete list of form codes can be found in Appendix B of the National Analysis.) In 1995, wastewater management accounted for 95% of the national management total, while in 1993 wastewater management accounted for 94% of the national management total. Overall, total hazardous waste management decreased from 235 million tons in 1993 to 208 million tons in 1995. Wastewater management decreased from 220 million tons in 1993 to 198 million tons in 1995, and non-wastewater management decreased from 15 million tons in 1993 to 10 million tons in 1995. The majority (73%) of the waste managed in the nation was managed in aqueous treatment units. Aqueous treatment units consist of: Aqueous Organic Treatment Units 117 million tons Aqueous Organic and Inorganic Treatment Units 28 million tons Aqueous Inorganic Treatment Units 8 million tons Land disposal accounted for 12.3% of the national management total. Land disposal units include: Deepwell/Underground Injection 24 million tons Landfill 1 million tons Surface Impoundment 575 thousand tons Land Treatment/Application/Farming 11 thousand tons Thermal treatment accounted for 3% of the national management total. Thermal treatment units are: Incineration 4 million tons Energy Recovery (Reuse as Fuel) 2 million tons Recovery operations accounted for 1.8% of the national management total. Recovery operations include: Fuel Blending 2 million tons Metals Recovery (for Reuse) 610 thousand tons Other Recovery 422 thousand tons Solvents Recovery 356 thousand tons The remaining management quantities (9.6%) were from other treatment and disposal units: Other Treatment 18 million tons Stabilization 1 million tons Other Disposal (specified in comments) 663 thousand tons Sludge Treatment 481 thousand tons RCRA HAZARDOUS WASTE SHIPMENTS AND RECEIPTS RCRA hazardous waste shipment information is obtained from data reported by both RCRA LQGs and RCRA TSDs. RCRA hazardous waste shipment quantities include all RCRA waste shipments reported by RCRA LQGs and TSDs. Although some off-site shipments may ultimately be managed in treatment units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, this determination cannot be made from information reported by the shipper. Therefore, the shipment quantities provided in this Report may include some waste that is ultimately managed in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards. In some instances, reported waste shipments are actually the movement of wastes across contiguous physical locations that are regulated under different EPA identification numbers. These waste transfers are correctly reported as shipments and cannot be distinguished from transport shipments based on the information reported. RCRA hazardous waste receipt information is obtained from data reported by RCRA TSDs. RCRA hazardous waste receipt quantities are limited to waste reported by a receiving TSD as either received for transfer or received and managed at the reporting TSD in units subject to RCRA permitting standards. Received wastes managed at the reporting TSD in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards, such as treatment systems permitted by the NPDES, are excluded from receipt quantities provided in this Report. Limitations in the reported information prevents the direct comparison of shipment and receipt quantities. Hazardous waste shipment quantities may include hazardous waste shipments that are ultimately managed by the receiver in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards. Hazardous waste receipt quantities exclude waste managed in units exempt from RCRA permitting standards. Therefore, hazardous waste shipment quantities can be expected to exceed hazardous waste receipt quantities because exempt waste may be included in shipment quantities and excluded from receipt quantities. Exempt waste reporting will be eliminated beginning with the 1997 biennial reporting cycle. This change should mitigate this discrepancy in future reports. RCRA hazardous waste exports are waste shipments where the destination is a different State from the State in which the waste was generated. Exports are calculated from information provided by waste shippers. RCRA hazardous waste imports are waste receipts where the waste originated in another State. RCRA hazardous waste imports are calculated from information provided by RCRA TSDs. In 1995, 20,497 shippers reported shipping a total of 10.7 million tons of hazardous waste. This is a decrease of 3,467 shippers and a decrease of 6.7 million tons of hazardous waste that was shipped as compared to 1993. The States whose shippers reported shipping (in or out of State) the largest quantities of waste were Texas (2.4 million tons), California (1.3 million tons), Ohio (760 thousand tons), New York (650 thousand tons), and Michigan (510 thousand tons). Together the shippers in these States accounted for 53% of the total quantity of hazardous waste shipped nationwide. Nationwide, of the 10.7 million tons of hazardous waste shipped, 5.3 million tons were exported to other States. This is a 1.5 million ton decrease compared with 1993. The States whose shippers exported the largest amount of waste were California (1.1 million tons), Ohio (330 thousand tons), Pennsylvania (280 thousand tons), Texas (240 thousand tons), and Illinois (230 thousand tons). Together the exports in these States accounted for 41% of the national total of hazardous waste exports. In 1995, 644 RCRA TSDs reported receiving 9.3 million tons of hazardous waste. This is a decrease of 95 TSDs and an increase of 360 thousand tons of hazardous waste compared with 1993. The States whose receivers reported receiving the largest quantities of waste, from both in or out of State, were Michigan (1.2 million tons), New Jersey (1.2 million tons), Texas (970 thousand tons), Ohio (700 thousand tons), and Nevada (650 thousand tons). Together, the receivers in these States accounted for 50% of the national total of waste receipts. Nationwide, of the 9.3 million tons of hazardous waste receipts, 5.9 million tons were imported from other States. This is an increase of 1.7 million tons compared with 1993. The States whose receivers reported importing the largest amount of waste were New Jersey (1.1 million tons), Michigan (820 thousand tons), Nevada (650 thousand tons), Ohio (440 thousand tons), and Texas (280 thousand tons). Together the receivers in these States accounted for 56% of the national total of waste imports. Exhibit 1: Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Generated and Number of Hazardous Waste Generators, by State, 1995 HAZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY STATE RANK TONS GENERATED PERCENTAGE ALABAMA 17 1,409,582 0.7 ALASKA 51 3,432 0.0 ARIZONA 41 66,865 0.0 ARKANSAS 20 992,794 0.5 CALIFORNIA 6 11,109,924 5.2 COLORADO 36 169,554 0.1 CONNECTICUT 32 295,928 0.1 DELAWARE 44 22,263 0.0 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 54 764 0.0 FLORIDA 31 368,904 0.2 GEORGIA 28 459,543 0.2 GUAM 55 299 0.0 HAWAII 24 592,900 0.3 IDAHO 18 1,209,841 0.6 ILLINOIS 5 12,756,271 6.0 INDIANA 14 1,733,026 0.8 IOWA 42 39,329 0.0 KANSAS 15 1,722,380 0.8 KENTUCKY 19 1,149,881 0.5 LOUISIANA 3 17,460,601 8.2 MAINE 45 19,459 0.0 MARYLAND 30 448,707 0.2 MASSACHUSETTS 23 610,135 0.3 MICHIGAN 4 13,446,389 6.3 MINNESOTA 39 77,720 0.0 MISSISSIPPI 16 1,579,260 0.7 MISSOURI 27 508,963 0.2 MONTANA 50 7,668 0.0 NAVAJO NATION 56 195 0.0 NEBRASKA 37 99,702 0.0 NEVADA 48 11,354 0.0 NEW HAMPSHIRE 46 15,169 0.0 NEW JERSEY 7 10,342,432 4.8 NEW MEXICO 35 204,494 0.1 NEW YORK 11 2,306,232 1.1 NORTH CAROLINA 33 286,339 0.1 NORTH DAKOTA 25 520,226 0.2 OHIO 13 1,823,547 0.9 OKLAHOMA 26 511,918 0.2 OREGON 40 68,187 0.0 PENNSYLVANIA 9 6,446,730 3.0 PUERTO RICO 21 900,567 0.4 RHODE ISLAND 43 25,428 0.0 SOUTH CAROLINA 34 261,015 0.1 SOUTH DAKOTA 53 1,119 0.0 TENNESSEE 2 38,686,622 18.1 TEXAS 1 68,513,285 32.0 TRUST TERRITORIES 47 15,134 0.0 UTAH 29 456,847 0.2 VERMONT 49 10,497 0.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS 52 3,329 0.0 VIRGINIA 38 98,678 0.0 WASHINGTON 10 3,088,487 1.4 WEST VIRGINIA 8 8,489,828 4.0 WISCONSIN 22 664,609 0.3 WYOMING 12 1,972,177 0.9 CBI DATA N/A 5,977 N/A TOTAL 214,092,505 100.0 LARGE QUANTITY GENERATORS STATE RANK NUMBER PERCENTAGE ALABAMA 24 279 1.3 ALASKA 43 64 0.3 ARIZONA 29 199 1.0 ARKANSAS 28 204 1.0 CALIFORNIA 2 1,640 7.9 COLORADO 32 156 0.7 CONNECTICUT 18 395 1.9 DELAWARE 43 64 0.3 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 49 18 0.1 FLORIDA 17 418 2.0 GEORGIA 16 430 2.1 GUAM 53 13 0.1 HAWAII 45 53 0.3 IDAHO 46 52 0.2 ILLINOIS 6 1,156 5.5 INDIANA 10 609 2.9 IOWA 30 170 0.8 KANSAS 27 210 1.0 KENTUCKY 15 440 2.1 LOUISIANA 21 359 1.7 MAINE 34 144 0.7 MARYLAND 25 221 1.1 MASSACHUSETTS 13 476 2.3 MICHIGAN 9 718 3.4 MINNESOTA 23 284 1.4 MISSISSIPPI 33 152 0.7 MISSOURI 22 354 1.7 MONTANA 46 52 0.2 NAVAJO NATION 54 11 0.1 NEBRASKA 40 86 0.4 NEVADA 41 80 0.4 NEW HAMPSHIRE 35 130 0.6 NEW JERSEY 5 1,178 5.6 NEW MEXICO 48 44 0.2 NEW YORK 1 2,144 10.3 NORTH CAROLINA 11 587 2.8 NORTH DAKOTA 52 16 0.1 OHIO 3 1,373 6.6 OKLAHOMA 31 168 0.8 OREGON 26 220 1.1 PENNSYLVANIA 7 1,134 5.4 PUERTO RICO 39 88 0.4 RHODE ISLAND 37 112 0.5 SOUTH CAROLINA 19 371 1.8 SOUTH DAKOTA 50 17 0.1 TENNESSEE 14 467 2.2 TEXAS 4 1,329 6.4 TRUST TERRITORIES 55 3 0.0 UTAH 38 101 0.5 VERMONT 42 66 0.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS 56 1 0.0 VIRGINIA 19 371 1.8 WASHINGTON 8 748 3.6 WEST VIRGINIA 36 117 0.6 WISCONSIN 12 558 2.7 WYOMING 50 17 0.1 CBI DATA N/A 6 N/A TOTAL 20,873 100.0 Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding. Percentages do not include CBI data. Exhibit 2: Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Managed and Number of TSDs, by State, 1995 HAZARDOUS WASTE QUANTITY* STATE RANK TONS MANAGED PERCENTAGE ALABAMA 16 1,247,637 0.6 ALASKA 35 141,610 0.1 ARIZONA 43 11,029 0.0 ARKANSAS 18 1,000,465 0.5 CALIFORNIA 5 13,631,078 6.5 COLORADO 30 191,047 0.1 CONNECTICUT 33 154,729 0.1 DELAWARE 46 2,004 0.0 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 54 0 0.0 FLORIDA 32 161,763 0.1 GEORGIA 26 348,359 0.2 GUAM 53 0 0.0 HAWAII 49 476 0.0 IDAHO 17 1,240,434 0.6 ILLINOIS 9 3,274,425 1.6 INDIANA 14 1,486,318 0.7 IOWA 42 12,061 0.0 KANSAS 11 1,761,658 0.8 KENTUCKY 37 123,709 0.1 LOUISIANA 3 17,633,877 8.5 MAINE 47 1,780 0.0 MARYLAND 27 201,744 0.1 MASSACHUSETTS 44 7,288 0.0 MICHIGAN 4 14,381,917 6.9 MINNESOTA 34 153,657 0.1 MISSISSIPPI 15 1,446,886 0.7 MISSOURI 25 437,962 0.2 MONTANA 48 1,368 0.0 NAVAJO NATION 56 0 0.0 NEBRASKA 38 113,395 0.1 NEVADA 20 650,032 0.3 NEW HAMPSHIRE 54 0 0.0 NEW JERSEY 6 10,979,933 5.3 NEW MEXICO 31 188,444 0.1 NEW YORK 23 509,446 0.2 NORTH CAROLINA 28 199,439 0.1 NORTH DAKOTA 22 518,043 0.2 OHIO 12 1,754,399 0.8 OKLAHOMA 21 563,381 0.3 OREGON 36 137,302 0.1 PENNSYLVANIA 8 6,314,049 3.0 PUERTO RICO 19 836,505 0.4 RHODE ISLAND 40 29,806 0.0 SOUTH CAROLINA 29 191,309 0.1 SOUTH DAKOTA 51 1 0.0 TENNESSEE 2 38,675,221 18.6 TEXAS 1 75,074,857 36.0 TRUST TERRITORIES 45 2,980 0.0 UTAH 24 461,970 0.2 VERMONT 52 0 0.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS 50 20 0.0 VIRGINIA 39 51,995 0.0 WASHINGTON 13 1,577,079 0.8 WEST VIRGINIA 7 8,395,116 4.0 WISCONSIN 41 17,492 0.0 WYOMING 10 1,970,452 0.9 CBI DATA N/A 4,088 N/A TOTAL 208,272,032 100.0 *Quantity managed only by storage is excluded. TSD FACILITIES STATE RANK NUMBER PERCENTAGE ALABAMA 18 42 2.1 ALASKA 43 9 0.5 ARIZONA 28 26 1.3 ARKANSAS 36 17 0.9 CALIFORNIA 2 136 6.9 COLORADO 20 36 1.8 CONNECTICUT 17 43 2.2 DELAWARE 48 5 0.3 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 53 1 0.1 FLORIDA 11 56 2.8 GEORGIA 13 51 2.6 GUAM 51 2 0.1 HAWAII 47 6 0.3 IDAHO 41 10 0.5 ILLINOIS 4 107 5.4 INDIANA 5 76 3.8 IOWA 27 28 1.4 KANSAS 14 50 2.5 KENTUCKY 19 40 2.0 LOUISIANA 15 49 2.5 MAINE 35 18 0.9 MARYLAND 31 22 1.1 MASSACHUSETTS 21 34 1.7 MICHIGAN 3 112 5.7 MINNESOTA 25 29 1.5 MISSISSIPPI 34 19 1.0 MISSOURI 10 68 3.4 MONTANA 43 9 0.5 NAVAJO NATION 56 0 0.0 NEBRASKA 38 14 0.7 NEVADA 37 15 0.8 NEW HAMPSHIRE 53 1 0.1 NEW JERSEY 11 56 2.8 NEW MEXICO 38 14 0.7 NEW YORK 7 70 3.5 NORTH CAROLINA 8 69 3.5 NORTH DAKOTA 45 7 0.4 OHIO 6 74 3.7 OKLAHOMA 22 31 1.6 OREGON 40 11 0.6 PENNSYLVANIA 8 69 3.5 PUERTO RICO 33 20 1.0 RHODE ISLAND 41 10 0.5 SOUTH CAROLINA 28 26 1.3 SOUTH DAKOTA 50 3 0.2 TENNESSEE 25 29 1.5 TEXAS 1 192 9.7 TRUST TERRITORIES 51 2 0.1 UTAH 32 21 1.1 VERMONT 45 7 0.4 VIRGIN ISLANDS 53 1 0.1 VIRGINIA 22 31 1.6 WASHINGTON 16 47 2.4 WEST VIRGINIA 28 26 1.3 WISCONSIN 24 30 1.5 WYOMING 48 5 0.3 CBI DATA N/A 1 N/A TOTAL 1,983 100.0 Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding. Percentages do not include CBI data. WHERE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All volumes of The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 1995 Data), as well as the 1995 Biennial Reporting System (BRS) database, can be obtained via the Internet or they can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at (703) 487-4650. FOOTNOTES (1) The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Navajo Nation, the Trust Territories, and the Virgin Islands, in addition to the 50 United States. (2) Some respondents from the State of Georgia have submitted Confidential Business Information (CBI) pursuant to 40 CFR 260.2(b). While not included in any public BRS database, CBI has been incorporated into the Executive Summary and National Analysis volumes of this Report wherever possible. Where CBI has been omitted from these volumes, a footnote has been provided.