Hazardous Waste From Oil Refineries
Hazardous Waste From Oil Refineries
Hazardous Waste From Oil Refineries
[FRL-3807-1]
RIN 2050-AB70
Hazardous Waste Management Systems: Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; CERCLA Hazardous Substance
Designation-Petroleum Refinery Primary and Secondary Oil/Water/Solids Separation Sludge Listings (F037 and F038)
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today promulgating regulations under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to add two wastes to the list of hazardous wastes under 40 CFR 261.31. These
wastes, designated F037 and F038, are generated in the separation of oil/water/solids from petroleum refinery process
wastewaters and oily cooling wastewaters.
EPA is also amending Appendix VII of 40 CFR 261 to add the organic and inorganic constituents for which
these wastes are listed. In addition, EPA is adding these wastes to the list of hazardous substances under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and setting their reportable
quantities at the statutory level of one pound.
EPA is taking this action because these wastes, when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or
otherwise managed, are potentially capable of posing a substantial hazard to human health or the environment. Today's
rulemaking will extend RCRA and CERCLA coverage to all oil/water/solids separation sludges and floats generated
from wastewaters from petroleum refineries regardless of the type of device used to separate the wastes from the process
wastewaters and oily cooling wastewaters and regardless of where treatment takes place.
The effect of listing these wastes will be to subject them to the hazardous waste regulations of 40 CFR 124,
262 through 266, 270, and 271 of this Chapter; the notification requirements of section 3010 under RCRA; and the
notification requirements of section 103 under CERCLA.
ADDRESSSES: The official record for this rulemaking is identified as Docket Number F-90-PTSF-FFFFF and is
located in the EPA RCRA Docket, Room M2427, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460. The docket is open from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To review docket materials, the public must make an
appointment by calling (202) 475-9327. The public may copy a maximum of 100 pages of material from any one
regulatory docket at no cost; additional copies cost $0.15 per page.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about this rulemaking contact the
RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or (202) 382-3000. For technical information, contact John Austin, Office
of Solid Waste (WH-562), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460 or by
telephone at (202) 382-4789. For further information on the CERCLA portions of this rule, contact Barbara Hostage,
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (WH-548), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20460; (202) 382-2198.
>>>> Preamble has not been included in this file. <<<<
For the reasons set out in the preamble, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:
2. Section 261.31 is amended by adding in alphanumeric order the following hazardous waste listings:
* * * * *
* * * * * * *
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3. Section 261.31 is amended by designating the introductory text and the table
as paragraph (a) and by adding paragraph (b) to read as follows:
§ 261.31 Hazardous wastes from non-specific sources.
* * * * *
(b) Listing Specific Definitions: (1) For the purposes of the F037 and F038
listings, oil/water/solids is defined as oil and/or water and/or solids.
(2) (i) For the purposes of the F037 and F038 listings, aggressive biological
treatment units are defined as units which employ one of the following four treatment
methods: activated sludge; trickling filter; rotating biological contactor for the
continuous accelerated biological oxidation of wastewaters; or high-rate aeration. High-
rate aeration is a system of surface impoundments or tanks, in which intense mechanical
aeration is used to completely mix the wastes, enhance biological activity, and (A) the
units employs a minimum of 6 hp per million gallons of treatment volume; and either (B)
the hydraulic retention time of the unit is no longer than 5 days; or (C) the hydraulic
retention time is no longer than 30 days and the unit does not generate a sludge that is
a hazardous waste by the Toxicity Characteristic.
(ii) Generators and treatment, storage and disposal facilities have the burden of
proving that their sludges are exempt from listing as F037 and F038 wastes under this
definition. Generators and treatment, storage and disposal facilities must maintain, in
their operating or other onsite records, documents and data sufficient to prove that:
(A) the unit is an aggressive biological treatment unit as defined in this subsection;
and (B) the sludges sought to be exempted from the definitions of F037 and/or F038 were
actually treated in the aggressive biological treatment unit.
(3) (i) For the purposes of the F037 listing, sludges are considered to be
generated at the moment of deposition in the unit, where deposition is defined as at
least a temporary cessation of lateral particle movement. (ii) For the purposes of the
F038 listing, (A) sludges are considered to be generated at the moment of deposition in
the unit, where deposition is defined as at least a temporary cessation of lateral
particle movement and (B) floats are considered to be generated at the moment they are
formed in the top of the unit.
4. Section 261 is amended by amending Appendix VII to add the following waste
streams in alphanumeric order as follows:
* * * * * * *
F037 Benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, lead,
chromium.
* * * * * * *
Table 1.-Regulations Implementing the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984
Promulgation date Title of regulation Federal Register Effective date
reference
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
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PART 302-DESIGNATION, REPORTABLE QUANTITIES, AND NOTIFICATION
Statutory Proposed RQ
* * * * * * *
F037 *1 4 F037 X 1
Petroleum refinery (0.454
primary oil/ water/solids )
separation sludge-Any
sludge generated from the
gravitational separation
of oil/water/ solids
during the storage or
treatment of process
wastewaters and oily
cooling wastewaters from
petroleum refineries.
Such sludges include, but
are not limited to, those
generated in: oil/water/
solids separators; tanks
and impoundments; ditches
and other conveyances;
sumps; and stormwater
units receiving dry
weather flow. Sludges
generated in stormwater
units that do not receive
dry weather flow, sludges
generated in aggressive
bological treatment units
as defined in §
261.31(b)(2) (including
sludges generated in one
or more additional units
after wastewaters have
been treated in
aggressive biological
treatment units) and K051
wastes are exempted from
this listing.
* * * * * * *
*1 4 F038 X 1
F038 (0.454
Petroleum refinery )
secondary (emulsified)
oil/water/ solids
separation sludge-Any
sludge and/or float
generated from the
physical and/or chemical
separation of oil/water/
solids in process
wastewaters and oily
cooling wastewaters from
petroleum refineries.
Such wastes include, but
are not limited to, all
sludges and floats
generated in: induced air
flotation (IAF) units,
tanks and impoundments,
and all sludges generated
in DAF units. Sludges
generated in stormwater
units that do not receive
dry weather flow, sludges
generated in aggressive
bological treatment units
as defined in §
261.31(b)(2) (including
sludges generated in one
or more additional units
after wastewaters have
been treated in
aggressive biological
treatment unts) and F037,
K048, and K051 wastes are
exempted from this
listing.
* * * * * * *