Impact/Purpose:

Many of the wastes generated at wood preserving facilities are regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). A growing concern over the toxicity and persistence of wood treating wastes induced EPA to publish specific RCRA regulations pertaining to these wastestreams in 1990. Subsequently, EPA promulgated rules requiring tighter management of hazardous waste by the wood preserving industry. Many of the wood preserving facilities have invested in cleaning-up existing contamination and complying with regulatory standards for facility construction and proper waste management. The States in Region 4 have a large number of wood preserving facilities. The EPA Region 4, Environmental Accountability Division has recommended that the RCRA Enforcement and Compliance Branch (ECB) conduct inspections and sampling at wood treating facilities throughout the region as part of a regional Wood Preservers Initiative.

Description:

SESD is supporting the 2004 Wood Preservers Initiative by conducting Case Development Investigations/Evaluations (CDIEs) at selected facilities in EPA Region 4. The objectives of these investigations are: 1)to sample wood preserving wastestreams that might be currently mismanaged to determine if the materials exceed RCRA Toxicity Characteristic (TC) regulatory levels or are listed wastes, and 2)to sample areas at the facilities where wood preserving wastes may have been released onto the environment. A final report containing process information and results of laboratory analyses is then prepared by SESD and submitted to the designated Region 4 inspector appointed to the facility by the Waste Management Division. This information serves to support the inspector's Comprehensive Environmental Investigation (CEI) report for the facility. During this reporting period, conducted 4 wood preservers investigations.

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