40 CFR 268.1 – Purpose, scope, and applicability
(a) This part identifies hazardous wastes that are restricted from land disposal and defines those limited circumstances under which an otherwise prohibited waste may continue to be land disposed.
(b) Except as specifically provided otherwise in this part or part 261 of this chapter, the requirements of this part apply to persons who generate or transport hazardous waste and owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.
(c) Restricted wastes may continue to be land disposed as follows:
(1) Where persons have been granted an extension to the effective date of a prohibition under subpart C of this part or pursuant to § 268.5, with respect to those wastes covered by the extension;
(2) Where persons have been granted an exemption from a prohibition pursuant to a petition under § 268.6, with respect to those wastes and units covered by the petition;
(3) Wastes that are hazardous only because they exhibit a hazardous characteristic, and which are otherwise prohibited under this part, or part 148 of this chapter, are not prohibited if the wastes:
(i) Are disposed into a nonhazardous or hazardous injection well as defined under 40 CFR 146.6(a); and
(ii) Do not exhibit any prohibited characteristic of hazardous waste identified in 40 CFR part 261, subpart C at the point of injection.
(4) Wastes that are hazardous only because they exhibit a hazardous characteristic, and which are otherwise prohibited under this part, are not prohibited if the wastes meet any of the following criteria, unless the wastes are subject to a specified method of treatment other than DEACT in § 268.40, or are D003 reactive cyanide:
(i) The wastes are managed in a treatment system which subsequently discharges to waters of the U.S. pursuant to a permit issued under section 402 of the Clean Water Act; or
(ii) The wastes are treated for purposes of the pretreatment requirements of section 307 of the Clean Water Act; or
(iii) The wastes are managed in a zero discharge system engaged in Clean Water Act-equivalent treatment as defined in § 268.37(a); and
(iv) The wastes no longer exhibit a prohibited characteristic at the point of land disposal (i.e., placement in a surface impoundment).
(d) The requirements of this part shall not affect the availability of a waiver under section 121(d)(4) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).
(e) The following hazardous wastes are not subject to any provision of part 268:
(1) Waste generated by very small quantity generators, as defined in § 260.10 of this chapter;
(2) Waste pesticides that a farmer disposes of pursuant to § 262.70;
(3) Wastes identified or listed as hazardous after November 8, 1984 for which EPA has not promulgated land disposal prohibitions or treatment standards;
(4) De minimis losses of characteristic wastes to wastewaters are not considered to be prohibited wastes and are defined as losses from normal material handling operations (e.g. spills from the unloading or transfer of materials from bins or other containers, leaks from pipes, valves or other devices used to transfer materials); minor leaks of process equipment, storage tanks or containers; leaks from well-maintained pump packings and seals; sample purgings; and relief device discharges; discharges from safety showers and rinsing and cleaning of personal safety equipment; rinsate from empty containers or from containers that are rendered empty by that rinsing; and laboratory wastes not exceeding one per cent of the total flow of wastewater into the facility’s headworks on an annual basis, or with a combined annualized average concentration not exceeding one part per million in the headworks of the facility’s wastewater treatment or pretreatment facility.
(f) Universal waste handlers and universal waste transporters (as defined in 40 CFR 260.10) are exempt from 40 CFR 268.7 and 268.50 for the hazardous wastes listed below. These handlers are subject to regulation under 40 CFR part 273.
(1) Batteries as described in 40 CFR 273.2;
(2) Pesticides as described in § 273.3 of this chapter;
(3) Mercury-containing equipment as described in § 273.4 of this chapter;
(4) Lamps as described in § 273.5 of this chapter; and
(5) Aerosol cans as described in § 273.6 of this chapter.