Mercury containing lamps are federally regulated under the “Resource Conservation and Recovery Act” (RCRA) and are managed under the Universal Waste Rule. Recycling lamps is mandatory in all 50 states and a company may be fined up to $25,000 per occurrence for throwing lamps in the trash. Under federal regulations, a lamp is considered a hazardous waste if it exhibits the characteristic of hazardous waste toxicity. A Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) is used to determine whether or not a lamp exhibits this characteristic. This test measures the leachability of certain...
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Legislation
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Before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the manufacture of PCBs in 1978, PCBs were commonly used in ballasts. The EPA requires companies and organizations to properly dispose of PCB waste under the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCBs can cause gastric disorders, skin lesions, and liver cancer.
Newer non-PCB, magnetic, or electronic ballasts do not...
The Battery Act helps prevent batteries from being disposed of in landfills and allows the EPA to fine a business up to $10,000 for violating the law. Spent batteries are classified as Universal Waste and are classified as a device consisting of one or more electrically connected electrochemical cells which are designed to receive, store, and deliver electric energy. An...
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Federal Regulations
Some electronics, CRT computer monitors, televisions, cell phones, portable electronics and other devices, test “hazardous” under federal law. These hazardous items contain lead, cadmium, mercury, and other harsh components that are damaging to the environment and are subject to special handling requirements under federal law. At present, there is no...
