EPA Eyes Pending Rules, Guidance To Address Retailers' RCRA Concerns

摘要

EPA is looking to several pending rulemakings, as well as possible new guidance, to address the retail industry's concerns about the application of Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste management requirements to the sector, but is not necessarily looking to develop a retail-specific rule, agency officials recently told state waste officials. The retail sector has been pressuring EPA to tailor RCRA's regulatory framework to better fit the retail environment, following increased state and federal enforcement, including a landmark 2013 EPA settlement with Wal-Mart to resolve RCRA and other environmental law violations, related to the handling of returned, unsold and off-specification products, that resulted in civil penalties of more than $7.6 million and a total of $81.6 million in criminal penalties.