Waste Management
Waste management is regulated by federal, state, and local agencies to prevent adverse impacts to the environment. The CERCLA was enacted in 1980 to provide for the clean-up of sites contaminated with hazardous substances as well as broadly defined “pollutants and contaminants.” The EPA regulates waste at the federal level. States and local agencies may establish recycling mandates or ban specific materials from the landfills within their jurisdiction. State and local regulations and requirements can be more rigorous than the federal regulations.
In recent years, FAA and airport operators have placed greater emphasis on waste management at airports and implemented such practices as waste stream separation and reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Specific actions and strategies taken by FAA include:
- Revising its definition of master planning to include waste management (2012). Issuing a synthesis report document, “Recycling, Reuse, and Waste Reduction at Airports” (2013).
- Releasing a memorandum to guide the development of Airport Waste Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling Plans (2014) which you may include as one element of your next airport master planning effort or as a standalone effort.
Waste can be broadly categorized as hazardous or non-hazardous. Airport operations can generate hazardous and non-hazardous wastes that are subject to federal, state, and local regulations.
Non-Hazardous Waste
As part of its ongoing Sustainable Materials Management Program, the EPA has developed a hierarchy to rank the available waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. The hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling as key to sustainable materials management. Airport operators should consider and implement EPA’s waste management hierarchy whenever possible.
Hazardous Waste
According to the RCRA of 1976, as amended, waste is considered to be hazardous if it poses a threat to public health or the environment. Hazardous wastes are those which are reactive, ignitable, corrosive, or toxic or listed specifically by regulatory authorities due to one or more of their characteristics or sources. ACRP Report 43 Guidebook of Practices for Improving Environmental Performance at Small Airports, Chapter 7, Waste Management provides information on the following hazardous waste topics:
- Hazardous Waste Regulations
- Universal Waste Requirements
- Used Oil and Oil Filters
- PCB Waste
- Asbestos Containing Material Management
- Lead
If your airport generates hazardous waste, you may be interested in additional information below.
If your airport generates hazardous waste, it must be stored according to the requirements of RCRA and other safety regulations. Some examples of hazardous waste that you may find at your airport include oils and solvents from aircraft and ground service vehicle maintenance. A trained and certified employee or contractor must classify, handle, label, and offer for shipment (or for collection by a waste management transporter) hazardous waste in accordance with RCRA. The transfer of waste from a generator to a transporter to final disposition is tracked through a series of paperwork known as “manifesting.” Manifesting helps track hazardous waste and reduces illegal disposal.
As an airport operator, your responsibility for the hazardous waste generated at your facility continues for several decades after its disposal. In addition, a facility may be required to report the amount of hazardous waste it is generating on a regular basis – these requirements (and several others, including accumulation limits and recordkeeping) are based on the amount of waste generated over the course of one year (which determines a facilities generator status).
Universal wastes are special types of waste that meet the definition of hazardous waste but pose a lower threat compared to other hazardous wastes and are generated in large quantities by a large number of facilities. Some examples of universal wastes include fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and mercury containing devices. Due to the relatively low threat universal wastes present, they are subject to less stringent regulatory requirements and may not be subject to some of the requirements of their hazardous waste counterparts; however, they must still be disposed of properly.
Waste generated by flights originating from locations outside of the United States is regulated by the USDA and CBP. If your airport serves international destinations, you may be interested in additional information below.
If your airport serves international destinations, you will need to manage international waste in accordance with Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations 330.400 -330.403 and Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations 94.5 which state that waste is not allowed to be imported from foreign regions. There are certain conditions under which waste generated on flights from Canada, Hawaii, the U.S. territories, or US possessions is allowed entry. The management of international waste typically requires incineration to prevent the spread of pests and other non-native species of plants or animals. Some airports have on-site incinerators for this purpose, while others contract for this service off-site.