United States Environmental Protection Agency
Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Office of Solid Waste, OSW (Note:  Office of Solid Waste, OSW, was renamed Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, ORCR, on January 18, 2009) (5305W)

June 1999                                               
EPA530-F-99-036


Environmental Fact Sheet: Ideas To Reduce Reporting
Requirements at Hazardous Waste Facilities 


Background

The Paperwork Reduction Act establishes a 40 percent
reduction goal for federal agencies to reduce their
reporting and recordkeeping burdens on the regulated
community, states, and the public by September 2001.
"Burden" is the time that the regulated community, states,
and private citizens spend submitting information to federal
agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
keeping records on file and/or developing the information
they report.  To meet the goals of the Paperwork Reduction
Act, EPA aims to reduce the regulatory burden associated
with the hazardous waste management regulations while
protecting human health and the environment. 
  

Action

EPA is publishing a Notice of Data Availability in
compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Agency
reviewed its hazardous waste reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, and developed ideas for streamlining them.
After obtaining input from a small number of state experts,
EPA developed the following burden reduction ideas: 

     - Allowing electronic reporting and recordkeeping for   
       all information that is kept by facilities and sent   
       to EPA;

     - Reducing reporting requirements for generators and    
       treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs); 
 
     - Lengthening the periods between facility              
       self-inspections;

     - Streamlining personnel training in hazardous waste    
       requirements;

     - Streamlining the land disposal restrictions           
       notification, determination, and certification        
       requirements, and; 

     - Reducing the amount of information collected in the   
       Agency's Biennial Report.
  

The Agency is requesting comment on these ideas. Comments
may be submitted electronically to rcra-docket@epa.gov, or
by post mail to: RCRA Information Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mail Code 5305G, Washington, DC 20460.
All comments must include reference number F-1999-
IBRA-FFFFF.
                                                 

For More Information

This fact sheet, the notice, and related background
documents are available on the Internet.
Documents include a summary of burden estimates; other
burden reduction ideas not included in the NODA; a list of
hazardous waste reporting requirements; and a list of
nonregulatory burden ideas. For additional information or to
order paper copies of any documents, call the RCRA Hotline.
Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial
703-412-9810 or TDD 703-412-3323 (hearing impaired).
Long-distance callers may call 1-800-424-9346 or TDD
1-800-553-7672. The RCRA Hotline operates weekdays, 9:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Send written requests to: RCRA Information
Center (5305W), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC
20460.