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Universal Waste: Glossary of Regulatory Terms

Description:

A list of key terms relating to universal hazardous waste.

Publishing Organization:

Office of Land and Emergency Management/Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery

Last Update:

January 11, 2013

Program Site:

https://www.epa.gov/hw/universal-waste

Terms & Acronyms

	Term
	Adoption	Definition: Referring to states adopting Federal regulations. As an initial step toward obtaining final authorization, a state typically adopts the federal regulations in some manner. Adopting the Federal program means either incorporating Federal rules into the State’s rules, or creating state rules that are equivalent to federal rules. See RCRA Orientation Manual Chapter 11: Authorizing States to Implement RCRA (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/inforesources/pubs/orientat/rom311.pdf).
	Authorized State	Definition: A state that has been delegated the authority by EPA to implement and enforce its own regulations for hazardous waste management under RCRA. The state program must be at least as stringent as the federal standards. See RCRA Orientation Manual Appendix D Glossary (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastetypes/pdfs/appd.pdf). NOTE: A state can be authorized for some portions of the RCRA regulations and not others.
	Battery	Definition: A device consisting of one or more electrically connected electrochemical cells which is designed to receive, store, and deliver electric energy. An electrochemical cell is a system consisting of an anode, cathode, and an electrolyte, plus such connections (electrical and mechanical) as may be needed to allow the cell to deliver or receive electrical energy. The term battery also includes an intact, unbroken battery from which the electrolyte has been removed. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Code of Federal Regulations	Definition: Document that codifies all rules of the executive departments and agencies of the federal government. It is divided into fifty volumes, known as titles. Title 40 of the CFR, referenced as 40 CFR, lists all environmental regulations (e.g., “40 CFR 273.81" lists a specific environmental regulation). See EPA’s Terms of Environment (http://www.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/cterms.html). Acronym: CFR
	Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator	Definition: Someone that produces (otherwise known as generates) less than 100 kg (220 lb) of hazardous waste, or less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) of acutely hazardous waste, per calendar month. Please see 40 CFR 261.5 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol27/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol27-sec261-5.xml) for the specific applicability. Acronym: CESQGs
	Destination Facility	Definition: Facility that treats, disposes of, or recycles a particular category of universal waste, except those management activities described in 40 CFR 273.13 (a) and (c) and 40 CFR 273.33 (a) and (c). A facility at which a particular category of universal waste is only accumulated, is not a destination facility for purposes of managing that category of universal waste. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act	Definition: See http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode21/usc_sup_01_21_10_9.html. Acronym: FFDCA
	Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act	Definition: See http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/fifra.html. Acronym: FIFRA
	Generator	Definition: Any person, by site, whose act or process produces hazardous waste identified or listed in part 261 of this chapter or whose act first causes a hazardous waste to become subject to regulation. See 40 CFR 260.10 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol27/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol27-sec260-10.xml).
	Hazardous Waste	Definition: A waste with properties that make it dangerous, or capable of having a harmful effect on human health and the environment. Under the RCRA program, hazardous wastes are specifically defined as wastes that meet a particular listing of description or that exhibit a characteristic of hazardous waste. See RCRA Orientation Manual Appendix D Glossary (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastetypes/pdfs/appd.pdf). NOTE: Hazardous wastes also are defined in 40 CFR 261.3 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol27/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol27-sec261-3.xml).
	Lamps	Definition: Lamp, also referred to as "universal waste lamp" is defined as the bulb or tube portion of an electric lighting device. A lamp is specifically designed to produce radiant energy, most often in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Examples of common universal waste electric lamps include, but are not limited to, fluorescent, high intensity discharge, neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Large Quantity Generators	Definition: Facilities that generate more than 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of hazardous waste per calendar month, or more than 1 kg (2.2 lb) of acutely hazardous waste per calendar month. See RCRA Orientation Manual Appendix D Glossary (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastetypes/pdfs/appd.pdf). Acronym: LQGs
	Large Quantity Handler of Universal Waste	Definition: Means a universal waste handler (as defined in this section) who accumulates 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) or more total of universal waste (batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment, or lamps, calculated collectively) at any time. This designation as a large quantity handler of universal waste is retained through the end of the calendar year in which 5,000 kilograms or more total of universal waste is accumulated. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Mercury-Containing Equipment	Definition: Means a device or part of a device (including thermostats, but excluding batteries and lamps) that contains elemental mercury integral to its function. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Pesticides	Definition: Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest, or intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant, other than any article that: (1) Is a new animal drug under FFDCA section 201(w), or (2) Is an animal drug that has been determined by regulation of the Secretary of Health and Human Services not to be a new animal drug, or (3) Is an animal feed under FFDCA section 201(x) that bears or contains any substances described by paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Resource Conservation and Recovery Act	Definition: This was enacted by Congress in 1976 to address the huge volumes of municipal and industrial solid waste generated nationwide. This Act provides broad guidelines for the establishment of a national waste management program. The Act also provides the Administrator of the EPA (or his or her designee) with the necessary authority to develop these broad standards into specific requirements for the regulated community. For more detail, see RCRA Orientation Manual Section I: Introduction to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/inforesources/pubs/orientat/rom1.pdf) or the general RCRA Orientation Manual Web site (http://www.epa.gov/wastes/inforesources/pubs/orientat/index.htm). Acronym: RCRA
	§, section symbol	Definition: This designates a section. Example: §273.6 is also written as 40 CFR 273.6 (title 40, part 273, section 6). Environmental regulations are in title 40 in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
	Small Quantity Generator	Definition: A generator who generates less than 1000 kg (2,200 lb) of hazardous waste in a calendar month. See 40 CFR 260.10 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol27/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol27-sec260-10.xml). Acronym: SQG
	Small Quantity Handler of Universal Waste	Definition: A universal waste handler that does not accumulate 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) of all universal waste categories combined at their location at any one time. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	State-Only Universal Waste	Definition: A term used in this Web site to indicate a waste that has been added to a state’s universal waste regulations but is not a federal universal waste category (batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment including thermostats, or lamps).
	Thermostat	Definition: A temperature control device that contains metallic mercury in an ampule attached to a bimetal sensing element, and mercury-containing ampules that have been removed from these temperature control devices in compliance with the requirements of 40 CFR 273.13(c)(2) or 273.33(c)(2). See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Transfer Facility	Definition: Any transportation-related facility including loading docks, parking areas, storage areas and other similar areas where shipments of universal waste are held during the normal course of transportation for ten days or less. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Transporter	Definition: Means a person engaged in the off-site transportation of universal waste by air, rail, highway, or water. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Universal Waste	Definition: Means any of the following hazardous wastes that are managed under the universal waste requirements of 40 CFR part 273 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-part273.xml): (1) Batteries as described in 40 CFR 273.2 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-2.xml); (2) Pesticides as described in 40 CFR 273.3 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-3.xml); (3) Mercury-containing equipment (including thermostats) as described in 40 CFR 273.4 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-4.xml); and (4) Lamps as described in 40 CFR 273.5 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-5.xml).
	Universal Waste Transfer Facility	Definition: Any transportation-related facility including loading docks, parking areas, storage areas and other similar areas where shipments of universal waste are held during the normal course of transportation for ten days or less. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).
	Universal Waste Transporter	Definition: Means a person engaged in the off-site transportation of universal waste by air, rail, highway, or water. See 40 CFR 273.9 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol28/xml/CFR-2012-title40-vol28-sec273-9.xml).

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