Pennsylvania Characteristic Waste: What you need to know

Identification and listing of hazardous waste: 25 Pennsylvania Code 261a.1

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of Waste, Air, and Radiation Management Bureau of Waste Management Division of Hazardous Waste Management

See ADDRESSES & CONTACTS for addresses and telephone numbers.

See national section for basic information and federal regulations.

• Rules. Pennsylvania has adopted by reference the federal rules for the identification and listing of hazardous waste. Wastes are considered characteristic hazardous waste if they exhibit certain properties (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity) or if certain hazardous constituents can leach out of the waste above specified levels (toxicity characteristic). For a discussion of the federal rules, see the national section CHARACTERISTIC WASTE. See the state sections HAZWASTE DETERMINATION (CLASSIFICATION) and LISTED WASTES for additional information on how Pennsylvania classifies wastes.

Wastes may be classified as hazardous because of their characteristics or if they have been placed on hazardous waste lists by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. See the national section LISTED WASTES for more information. Pennsylvania's regulations provide for filing delisting petitions with DEP, following a procedure similar to federal rules. See the state section DELISTING PETITIONS for more information.

• Administration and enforcement. DEP's Bureau of Waste Management administers and enforces Pennsylvania's hazardous waste requirements for identifying characteristic waste.