The RCRA

The RCRA or the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was implemented in 1976 to replace the aging Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. It set the precedent for handling the increasing problems America faced from its growing volume of municipal and industrial waste. The RCRA addresses the issues of protecting human health and the natural environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal as well as reducing the amount of waste generated, through source reduction and recycling thus ensuring the management of waste in an environmentally sound manner.

The RCRA consists of 10 subsections each addressing its own issues.

Subtitle A: General Provisions

Subtitle B: Office of Solid Waste; Authorities of the Administrator

Subtitle C: "Cradle to Grave" requirements

Subtitle D: Non-hazardous Solid Wastes

Subtitle E: Dept of Commerce Responsibilities

Subtitle F: Federal Responsibilities

Subtitle G: Miscellaneous Provisions

Subtitle H: Research, Development, Demonstration and Information

Subtitle I: Underground Storage Tanks

Today the RCRA is far different from its original form. It has been amended countless times. The Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments were added in 1984 and focused on waste minimization and phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste. Some of the other mandates of these amendments include increased enforcement authority for the EPA and more stringent hazardous waste management standards. Originally the RCRA did not include the subsection on Underground Storage Tanks but it was amended in 1986 to allow the EPA to address environmental problems that could result from underground tanks storing petroleum and other hazardous substances. 

As well as addressing each of these issues the RCRA is responsible for the management of all waste disposal sites. This means that public landfills, incinerators, and sewage treatment plants (also known as TSDF's or Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities) are all managed by organizations such as the EPA.