ENV-96-165 WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR SELECTED RESIDUALS IN THE PETROLEUM REFINING INDUSTRY

Description:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is directed in section 3001(e)(2) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCIL4) (42 U.S.C. 86921 (e)(2)) to determine whether to list as hazardous wastes a number of different wastes including those of the petroleum refining industry. A lawsuit by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in 1989 resulted in a consent decree approved by the court, that sets out an extensive series of deadlines for making the listing determinations required by Section 3001 (e)(2). The deadlines include those for making fmal listing determinations as well as for concluding various related studies or reports on the industries of concern. With respect to the refining industry, the consent decree identifies 14 specific residuals for which the Agency must make listing determinations and an additional 15 residuals for which the Agency must conduct a study.