For this assignment, you will use the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) Decision Tool (https://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/dsw/tool.htm) to answer the following questions:
1. The waste your company creates in a process is on the EPA's F-list. It has the following characteristics:
None of the ingredients, substitutes, or materials are returned to the original process.
The material is not specifically excluded from RCRA.
The material is not a military munition or inherently waste-like.
Your waste is considered "abandoned" because it is accumulated before it is disposed of.
Is the waste considered a solid waste that is regulated under RCRA? In your answer, list each step and the response you entered in the DSW Decision Tool.
2. Click on the "Accumulated Speculatively" step on the DSW tool. Describe what it means if a waste is accumulated speculatively.
3. You are asked by your employer to determine if a waste is subject to RCRA. The waste is spent sulfuric acid. Use step 3 of the DSW Decision Tool to give your boss the correct answer. Be sure to explain why the waste is, or is not, subject to RCRA.
4. Your facility produces a listed waste that is inherently waste-like and is not used as an ingredient or substitute in the original process. The waste is not specifically excluded, nor is it a military munition. Describe how you would use the DSW Decision Tool to determine if the waste is regulated as a hazardous waste under RCRA. What does it mean when a waste is "inherently waste-like" under RCRA?