By Dominique Philips

Last week, Ohio became the latest state to adopt the U.S. EPA’s Hazardous Waste Generator Improvement Rules.  Ohio joins 30 other states that have either authorized or adopted the federal package of rule changes.  In addition to the Haz Waste Generator Improvements Rule, Ohio EPA also included a new standard for pharmaceutical disposal.

Haz Waste Generator Improvement Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued this final rule in 2016 as a much-needed update to the regulation to make it easier to understand, to facilitate better compliance, to provide flexibility in how hazardous waste is managed and to close important gaps in the regulations.  After the rule was finalized, it became immediately effective in some states; however, most state environmental agencies were given the authority to review the changes and make decisions on their applicability to the businesses in their state. Ohio’s adoption last week includes, among other things, changes to:

• Manifesting, including submission to the EPA’s e-Manifest System
• Coal and fossil fuel combustion residuals definitions for clarity
• Reorganization of generator rules for better understanding and more clear citations
• Safe management of recalled airbags to remove regulations on their transportation

To view Ohio EPA’s hazardous waste rules go to their website at:  https://epa.ohio.gov/derr/derrrules/rcra#176615082-effective-rules To see a map of the states’ adoption status for this rule go to:  https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/where-hazardous-waste-generator-improvements-rule-effect#map

Pharma Standards

The U.S. EPA issued this final rule in 2019. The primary purpose was to prohibit health care facilities and retail stores from rinsing unused pharmaceuticals down a drain or toilet thereby entering the public sewer system.  Manufacturers of the medicines were already subject to similar regulations. The new pharmaceutical standard only applies to specific types of medicines including nicotine, phentermine, epinephrine, and others.  Sewering also has historically not been an option for pharmaceutical wastes that are listed as schedule II-V controlled substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Ohio is an early adopter of this federal rule with only 15 other states adding the rule to their books. To view Ohio EPA’s pharmaceutical waste rules, visit their website at: https://epa.ohio.gov/ocapp/rx To see a map of the states’ adoption status for this rule. visit:  https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/where-are-management-standards-hazardous-waste-pharmaceuticals-and-amendment-p075#tab-1