The Chief of EPA’S Waste Minimization Branch Discusses the DrafZ RCRA Hazardous Waste Minimization Plan

EPA 1s deueloping an RCRA Hazardous Waste Minimlzation NatIonal Plan that will serue as the basfsfor an ouerall natlonal policy on hazardous waste management. The Plan wlll place Its hlghest prlority on source reduction, followed by recycllng. In thls article, the Chief of the EPA’s Waste Minimlzatlon Branch describes the Agency’s Draft National Plan and requests comments from readers on the issues raised by the Draft Plan. ONMAY 18,1993,the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrator Carol Browner announced the Draft Hazardous Waste Minimization and Combustion Strategy. This strategy was designed to, among other things, reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated in the United States. Other components of the Draft Combustion Strategy included: strengthening federal controls governing hazardous waste incinerators and boilers and industrial furnaces (BIFs); enhancing public participation at the time of, and prior to, permitting a facility; conducting full risk assessments a t each combustion facility to be permitted and taking that assessment into consideration at the time of permitting; and ensuring that regulatory and permit requirements are vigorously enforced. As part ofthe Draft Hazardous Waste Minimization and Combustion Strategy, EPA also developed a Draft RCRA Hazardous Waste Minimization National Plan, which will go beyond the Draft Strategy. The Draft National Plan, which was made available for comment in May 1994, is intended to be the vehicle for developing a sound and sensible national policy for hazardous waste management that places our highest priorities on source reduction, followed by recycling. The overall goals of the Draft RCRA Hazardous Waste Minimization National Plan are to: (1) reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous waste that is generated in this country, particularly when such reductions will lead to multimedia environmental benefits; (2) expedite continual improvement in movement toward maximized source reduction and recycling in lieu of treatment and disposal; and (3) improve the management of wastes that cannot be reduced in a way that results in a net reduction of toxic eovironmental loadings to all media. There will be both a short-term and a longer-term phase of the Draft RCRA Hazardous Waste Minimization National Plan. In the -