Glossary of Terms
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ACUTELY HAZARDOUS WASTE: 40 CFR Parts 261.3-32 and subject to the exclusion established in 40 CFR Part 261.5: (EPA hazardous waste numbers F020, F022, F023, F026, and F027) - A subset of listed hazardous wastes that carry the “H” code; they are considered very harmful to human health and the environment.
AQUEOUS: A water solution containing organic and/or inorganic constituents dissolved in solution.
ASBESTOS: The various forms of Asbestos are: serpentine (chrysoltile), riebeckite (crocidolite), cummingtonite-grunerite, anthophyllite, and actinolite-tremolite.
ASBESTOS TAILINGS: Any solid waste that contain asbestos and is a product of asbestos mining or milling operations.
ASBESTOS-CONTAINING WASTE MATERIALS: Mill tailings or any waste that contains commercial asbestos. This term includes filters from control devices.
B
CHARACTERISTICALLY HAZARDOUS WASTE: 40 CFR Part 261.21-24 Subpart C - Any waste that exhibits the characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and/or toxicity as defined by the EPA. These are often referred to as the “D” wastes.
COMMERCIAL CHEMICAL PRODUCT: A chemical substance that is manufactured or formulated for commercial or manufacturing use.
COMMERCIAL/ RETAIL WASTE: Material discarded by stores, offices, restaurants, warehouses, non-manufacturing activities at industrial facilities, and other similar establishments or facilities. (40 CFR 60.51a)
CONTAINER: Any portable device, in which a material is stored, transported, treated, disposed of, or otherwise handled.
CORROSIVITY: 40 CFR 261.22 - In general, any waste that exhibits a pH of less than 2.0 or greater than 12.5 is considered corrosive. The literal reading of the regulations state that these values are for liquid wastes. Corrosivity of a solid waste is tested by a 50/50 dilution with de-ionized water (SW-846/9045).
FREE LIQUIDS: Liquids, which readily separate from the solid portion of a waste under ambient temperature and pressure.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE: Any substance designated as “hazardous” in 40 CFR Part 302 (Table 302.4) including, but not limited to, waste designated as hazardous in the Resource Conservation Recovery Act
HAZARDOUS WASTE: 40 CFR 261.3 - The EPA defines a waste as hazardous if it exhibits one or more of four hazardous “characteristics,” or if it is one of several hundred wastes “listed” as hazardous.
HOUSEHOLD WASTE: Any solid waste (including garbage, trash, and sanitary waste in septic tanks) derived from households (including single and multiple residences, hotels and motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas) (40 CFR 258.2)
IGNITABILITY: 40 CFR 261.21 - In general, any waste having a flashpoint less than 60ºC (140ºF) is considered hazardous and not acceptable for disposal. A waste is also considered hazardous for ignitability when, under standard temperature and pressure, is capable of causing fire through friction, absorption or spontaneous chemical change, and which will burn vigorously when ignited.
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS SOLID WASTE: Any solid waste generated as a direct or indirect result of the manufacture of a product or the performance of a service and any such waste which would pose a present or potential threat to human health or to the environment or with inherent properties which make the disposal of such waste in a landfill difficult to manage by normal means. Such “industrial process waste” may include, but is not limited to, waste resulting form any of the following processes:
Electric power generation
- Fertilizer or agricultural chemicals production
- Food and related products or byproducts production
- Inorganic chemicals production
- Iron and steel manufacture or foundries
- Leather and leather products production
- Nonferrous metals manufacture or foundries
- Organic chemicals production
- Plastics and resins manufacture
- Pulp and paper industry
- Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products production
- Stone, glass, clay, and concrete products
- Textile manufacture
- Transportation equipment
- Oil and gas process and refinery waste and disposed products
- Contaminated, off-specification, or outdated wholesale or retail products
- Waste recycling and processing activities, excluding operations in which processing consists solely of segregating components of municipal solid waste and no chemical or physical alteration of the waste is performed.
- Incinerator ashes (including, but not limited to, ash resulting from the incineration of potentially infectious waste
- Core sands
- Metallic dust sweepings
INSTITUTIONAL WASTE: Material discarded by schools, hospitals, non-manufacturing activities at prisons and government facilities and other similar establishments or facilities. (40 CFR 60.51a).
LIQUID WASTE: Any waste material that contains free liquids as determined by Method 9095 (Paint Filter Liquids Test) as described in “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods”, EPA Publication SW-846 [Third Edition, November 1986, as amended by Updates 1 (July 1992), 2 (September 1994), 2A (August 1993), and 2B (January 1995).
LISTED HAZARDOUS WASTES: 40 CFR Part 261 Subpart D - Specific wastes that have been identified by the EPA as hazardous. These are often referred to as the “F” wastes (waste from non-specific sources); “K” wastes (wastes from specific sources); “P” wastes (acutely hazardous off-specification materials, container residues, and spill residues of these materials); and “U” wastes (toxic, hazardous off-specification materials, container residues, and spill residues). A waste is considered hazardous if:
- it is listed in 40 CFR Part 261 Subpart D, or
- it is mixed with or derived from a waste listed there, and - it has not been provided a particular exclusion from the definition of hazardous as provided in 40 CFR Sections 261.3-4.
Municipal-Type Solid Waste OR MSW: Household, commercial/retail, and/or institutional waste. (40 CFR 60.51a).
ORGANIC: Organic matter is a broad category that includes both natural and man-made substances containing carbon, and usually hydrogen. All living matter is made up of organic constituents. Common examples are by-products of vegetative decay, such as tannins, linings, and humic acid.
ORGANIC SOLVENTS: Aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents such as alcohols, detones, esters, ethers, benzene, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, amines, or chlorinated hydrocarbons.
PETROLEUM SUBSTANCE: A crude oil, or any refined or unrefined fraction or derivative of crude oil that is a liquid at standard conditions of temperature and pressure. These substances include the following:
- combinations or mixtures of basic petroleum substances, such as crude oils, crude oil fractions, petroleum feedstock, and petroleum fractions;
- aviation gasolines, aviation jet fuels, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, gas turbine fuel oils, illuminating oils, lubricants, building materials, insulating and waterproofing materials, used oils;
- solvents or a combination or mixture of solvents — except for any listed substance regulated as a hazardous waste under the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act, Subtitle C (United States Code, Title 42, Section 6921, et seq.) that are liquid at standard conditions of temperature (20 degrees centigrade) and pressure (1 atmosphere). Examples include Stoddard solvent, petroleum spirits, mineral spirits, petroleum ether, varnish makers’ and painters’ naphthas, petroleum extender oils, and commercial hexane.
The following materials are not considered petroleum substances:
- polymerized materials, such as plastics, synthetic rubber, polystyrene, high- and low- density polyethylene;
- animal, microbial, and vegetable fats;
- food-grade oils;
- hardened asphalt and solid asphaltic materials, such as roofing shingles, roofing felt, hot mix and cold mix; and cosmetics.
PLANT TRASH: Solid waste generated from a manufacturing or industrial facility that consists entirely of general office waste, commercial waste, and other non-special wastes and is not mixed with any special wastes.
POLLUTION CONTROL SOLID WASTE: Any solid waste generated as a direct or indirect result from the removal of contaminants from the air, water, or land which may pose a present or potential threat to human health or to the environment or with inherent properties which make the disposal of such waste in a landfill difficult to manage by normal means. “Pollution control waste” includes, but is not limited to:
- Water and wastewater treatment sludges
- Baghouse dust
- Scrubber sludges
- Chemical spill cleanup wastes
- Remedial activity cleanup wastes
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL (PCB): Suspected toxic carcinogen; PCBs may accumulate in human or animal tissue. Industrial compound used as a heat-transfer agent; once used as a medium in electrical systems, e.g. transformers.
POTW: Publicly Owned Treatment Works. A system or device that a city or state owns and operates to treat municipal sewage or liquid industrial waste.
RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
RCRA METALS:
- Arsenic (As): A naturally occurring element that is silver-gray, brittle, crystalline solid or a black or yellow amorphous material. It is used in fungicides, wood preservatives, growth stimulants for plants and animals, in medicines, in the making of alloys from heavy metals, and in special solders, glass, cloth and electrical semi-conductors. It can be found in the emissions from coal-fired power plants and from its use as a pesticide.
- Barium (Ba) A silver-white or yellowish metal powder used in the production of other metals, paper and pesticides. It is also used as an additive in lubricating oils; in the production of beet sugar and animal and vegetable oils; in the manufacture of pyrotechnics and explosives; in tanning and finishing leathers; as a mordant for fabrics and dyes; in electroplating, aluminum refining, and rubber manufacture; and in the production of paints and enamels.
- Cadmium (Ca): May occur as a bluish metal or grayish powder. Cadmium is used in the electroplating of other metals, in batteries, pigments, in the production of metal alloys, corrosion inhibitors, chemicals, plastics, nuclear reactor fuel rods, photoelectric cells and nickel-cadmium electrical storage batteries and as a catalyst. It can get into indoor air as the result of welding, brazing, soldering, plating, cutting, grinding and metallizing operations. It gets into outdoor air and water primarily from industrial effluents and landfill leaching. Cadmium is found in zinc, copper, and lead ores. Cigarette smoke also contains traces of cadmium.
- Chromium (Cr): A steel-gray, lustrous metal often used in powder form. Chromium is used in photography, in the production of stainless steel and other metal alloys, in the chrome plating of other metals and in a wide variety of industrial processes.
- Lead (Pb): A soft gray metal widely used in industry because of its malleability, high density, low melting point, resistance to corrosion and ability to stop gamma rays and x-rays. Lead is used to make metal alloys, lead-lined pipe and containers for the storage of corrosive gases and liquids, and electric storage batteries, and is an additive in certain plastics.
- Mercury (Hg): A heavy, silvery liquid at room temperature. It is a good electrical conductor, and is used in electrical switches, thermocouples, fluorescent lamps, thermometers and barometers. It is an ingredient in mirror coatings, fumigants and mildew-proofing paints, and is used in the production of chlorine, caustic soda and paper. Mercury is used as a catalyst in the production of organic compounds.
- Selenium (Se): Occurs naturally as a black, gray or red odorless solid commonly found in association with sulfur. Selenium is a metalloid, a non-metal with some of the characteristics of a metal. It is used in the manufacture of steel, as vulcanizing agent for rubber, in paints and dyes, to clarify glass and as a pigment in ruby glass. It may also be used in electrical rectifiers and photoelectric cells. Selenium is one of the active ingredients in plain-paper office copiers. Selenium gets into air and water from coal and fuel oil combustion. It gets into water from the tailings of gold, silver and nickel mines and mills.
- Silver (Ag): A white, extremely lustrous metal that conducts heat and electricity better than any other metal. It is used in the production of jewelry, silverware, mirrors and photographic emulsions. Silver compounds are used as an antiseptic and bactericide and for other medical purposes. Silver is often found in the ores of copper, lead and zinc.
RESIDUE: Any solid waste remaining after incineration or processing that is not completely combusted or recovered, including any of the following: - Ash, Ceramics, Glass, Metal, Other inorganic substances or organic substances
RSC: Representative Sample Certificate. Section IV of the Waste Profile sheet which generators must fill out to certify that they are submitting a representative sample of a special waste stream.
SINGLE STREAM: Single Stream refers to a system where all recyclables are stored together in one recycling cart instead of separate containers for each type of recyclable material. Single Stream is a type of source separate recycling.
SLUDGE: Any solid, semi-solid, or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility, exclusive of the treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant.
SOLID WASTE: RCRA defines a solid waste as any solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material which is discarded, served its intended purpose, or is a manufacturing or mining by-product. This includes any garbage, refuse, or sludge, and is a RCRA Solid Waste irrespective of whether it is discarded, used, reused, recycled, reclaimed, stored, or accumulated.
SOURCE SEPARATED: Source Separated collection means recyclables are collected, stored and transported separately from trash.
SPECIAL WASTE: Any solid, liquid, semi-solid, gaseous material and associated containers generated as a direct or indirect result of an industrial process or from the removal of contaminants(s) from the air, water or land. Any solid waste from a non-residential source that includes, but is not limited to any of the following: industrial process waste; pollution control waste; incinerator residues; sludges; contaminated soil, residue, debris, and articles form the cleanup of a spill or release of materials listed in this section, regulated asbestos-containing material as defined in 40 CFR 61.141.
SYNTHETIC OILS: Oils not derived from shale, coal, or a polymer-based staring material; and nonpolymeric synthetic fluids that are used as hydraulic fluids and heat transfer fluids, such as those based on phosphate esters, diphenly oxide, or alkylated benzenes. Synthetic oils are generally used for the same purpose as oils, and they present relatively the same level of hazardousness after use.
TANK: A stationary device designed to contain an accumulation of hazardous waste that is constructed primarily of non-earthen materials (e.g. wood, concrete, steel, plastic).
TOC: Total Organic Carbon
TOTAL ANALYSIS: Analytical method used to determine the total concentration of an analyte in a sample, as opposed to the concentration of an analyte in a leachate
TOTAL SOLIDS: Total solids in water include both dissolved and suspended solids. Determined by weighing sample before and after evaporation to remove all of the water in the sample
TOXICITY: 40 CFR 261.24 - the toxicity testing was developed to simulate the leaching of contaminants from a landfill. The current procedure to perform this test is the TCLP extraction. The extraction can be analyzed for up to 40 different constituents.
TOXICITY CHARACTERISTIC LEACHING PROCEDURE (TCLP): TCLP - A testing procedure used to determine whether a waste is hazardous. The procedure identifies waste that might leach hazardous constituents into groundwater if improperly managed.
TPH: Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons. A test often used to determine the amount of hydrocarbon contamination in a solid.
TREATMENT RESIDUE: Waste resulting from the treatment of another waste.
TSDF: Treatment, Storage, or Disposal Facility. A hazardous waste management facility regulated under RCRA.
UNIVERSAL WASTE: 40 CFR Part 273 - This rule covers three types of waste:
- all hazardous waste batteries as described in 40 CFR 273.2;
- mercury-containing thermostats as described in 40 CFR 273.4;
- some hazardous waste pesticides as described in 40 CFR 273.3.
The rule establishes a reduced set of regulatory requirements for facilities managing universal waste, depending on whether the facility falls into one of four categories:
- small-quantity handler of universal waste (SQHUW)
- large-quantity handler of universal waste (LQHUW)
- transporter of universal waste, or
- final destination facilities.
In addition, the rules establish a petitioning procedure whereby additional wastes may be added to the universal waste rule.
VOC: Volatile Organic Compound. A class of pollutants that is toxic, and often flammable, or combustible. As air pollutants VOCs may be present in landfill gas; as liquid pollutants they may be present in leachate, groundwater, or waste. VOCs usually are not naturally occurring.
WASTE: Unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process; refuse from places of human or animal habitation.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT TANK: A tank that is designed to receive and treat an influent wastewater through physical, chemical, or biological methods.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT UNIT: A tank or tank system that is subject to regulation under either Section 402 or 307(b) of the Clean Water Act, and that treats or stores an influent wastewater that is hazardous waste, or that treats or stores a wastewater treatment sludge that is hazardous
WWTP: Waste Water Treatment Plant. A facility that treats sewage before releasing to a public waterway. Regulated under CWA.