RCRA - STORAGE/DISPOSAL > Overview

While it would probably not be a large volume waste stream, the used oil that you may generate as part of your campus power plant's operations needs to be managed according to regulations. To meet statutory requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), in 1992 EPA finalized standards for generators, transporters, transfer facilities, collection centers, processors and re-refiners, burners and marketers of used oil in 40 CFR 279. Many states also have their own, sometimes more stringent, regulations. Just as we have done for RCRA hazardous waste requirements covered in this EVC, we have split the EVC content for used oil into three RCRA areas as follows:

• Used Oil Storage/Disposal
• Used Oil Record keeping
• Used Oil Training/Other

Most campus power plant facilities do not operate as transport, transfer, collection center, processor/refiner, or burners and marketers of used oil. Therefore, the regulations governing these activities are not addressed in the EVC. More typically, your facility generates, stores and "disposes" (which, for the purposes of the used oil rules, actually is recycling) of used oil. The following activities invoke the used oil regulations: oil used in machines and equipment that has been drained as part of maintenance activities, and virgin petroleum product tank cleanouts. If you would like to learn about what RCRA requires of facilities that store and dispose of used oil, continue on with the EVC tour and see the detailed discussion on Used Oil Storage and Disposal. If, however, used oil is contaminated with PCBs, then the disposal requirements for PCBs under TSCA must be met.