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Hazardous Waste

Delisting a Hazardous Waste

The Hazardous Waste Identification Process: Step 4 - Is the waste delisted?Click on a step in the hazardous waste identification process for more information.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provides a process to remove, or “delist,” a waste generated at a facility from the list of hazardous wastes.

The regulations describing the delisting process are found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in section 260.22.

This delisting process is initiated by the generator (the person who creates the waste), who prepares a petition for delisting the waste.

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What is a Hazardous Waste Delisting?

RCRA regulations provide a petition procedure to exclude or "delist" a particular facility's waste from the list of hazardous wastes if the waste does not possess the dangerous properties. While there are two general types of hazardous waste, characteristic and listed, only listed wastes can be delisted. 

  • Characteristic hazardous wastes are designated hazardous because they exhibit dangerous properties such as corrosivity, ignitability, reactivity, or toxicity. Characteristic hazardous wastes cannot be delisted because of these dangerous properties.
  • Listed hazardous wastes are designated hazardous because the processes that generate them have typically produced wastes with dangerous properties like those mentioned above for characteristic wastes. Listed wastes are presumed to possess dangerous properties because of historical knowledge of the waste-generating-process.

How Do I Get a Delisting for My Waste?

This delisting process is initiated by the generator (the person who creates the waste), who prepares a petition for delisting the waste. The petition provides information about the waste, including its chemical composition, to demonstrate the rationale for delisting the waste. The petition is reviewed by the appropriate regulatory agency -- either U.S. EPA or an authorized state hazardous waste regulatory agency -- to determine whether the waste should continue to be listed as hazardous.

To begin this process, the hazardous waste generator must determine to whom they must petition, the U.S. EPA regional office or the state environmental agency. U.S. EPA delegated the authority to delist hazardous waste generated and disposed of in certain states to the state environmental agency. The delisting process is different in each U.S. EPA region and in each state so it is key to contact your regional or state coordinator and discuss the delistings process with him or her first. Below is a listing of regional and state delistings coordinators:

Picture of U.S. map of EPA's Regions

Region1Region2Region3Region 4Region 5Region6Region 7Region 8Region 9Region 10

  • Region 3 - Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinator

    Unassigned

    (215) 814-5000 (Main Region 3 Phone Number)

    Delaware Delistings

    Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

    Division of Waste Hazardous Substances

    (302) 739-9403

    District of Columbia Delistings

    District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment

    (202) 535-2600

    (202) 535-1909

    Pennsylvania Delistings

    Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

    Bureau of Waste Management

    (717) 783-2388

    (717) 787-6239

    West Virginia Delistings

    West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

    Division of Water and Waste Management

    (304) 926-0495

  • Region 4 - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinator

    William Kappler

    (404) 562-8498

    Kappler.william@epa.gov

    Alabama Delistings

    Alabama Department of Environmental Management

    Land Division

    (334) 271-7730

    Georgia Delistings

    Georgia Department of Natural Resources

    Land Protection Branch

    (404) 657-8600

    Kentucky Delistings

    Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection

    Division of Waste Management

    (502) 564-6716

    Mississippi Delistings

    Mississippi Department of Natural Resources

    Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Division

    (601) 961-5682

    North Carolina Delistings

    North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

    Division of Waste Management

    (919) 707-8200

  • Region 5 - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
    Illinois Delistings Coordinator

    Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

    Mark Crites

    (217) 524-3269

    mark.crites@illinois.gov

    1021 North Grand Avenue East

    P.O. Box 19276

    Mail Code 33

    Springfield, IL 62794-9276

    Indiana Delistings Coordinator

    Indiana Department of Environmental Management

    John Naddy

    jnaddy@idem.in.gov

    (317) 233-0404

    100 North Senate

    Room 1101

    Indianapolis, IN 46204

    Michigan Delistings Coordinator

    Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

    James Ferritto

    (213) 876-4454

    ferrittoj@michigan.gov

    Note: Michigan considers delistings only for wastes that are treated, stored, or disposed of as part of closure or partial closure of a treatment, storage or disposal (TSD) facility or if the waste is contaminated soil deemed hazardous due to its mixture with a hazardous waste. For potential delistings of other hazardous wastes generated in Michigan, contact EPA Region 5.

    Minnesota Delistings Coordinator

    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

    Courtney Ahlers-Nelson

    (651) 757-2183

    courtney.ahlers@state.mn.us

    520 Lafayette Road

    St. Paul, MN 55155

    Ohio and Wisconsin Delistings Coordinators

    U.S. EPA RCRA Programs Branch

    Todd Ramaly

    (312) 353-9317

    ramaly.todd@epa.gov

    Christopher Lambesis

    (312) 886-3583

    lambesis.christopher@epa.gov

    77 West Jackson Blvd.

    Mail Code LR-8J

    Chicago, Illinois 60604

  • Region 6 - Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinators

    Michelle Peace

    (214) 665-7430

    peace.michelle@epa.gov

    Alethea Tsui Bowen

    (214) 665-7555

    tsui-bowen.alethea@epa.gov

    Louisiana Delistings

    Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

    Waste Permits Division

    (225) 219-3181

    Oklahoma Delistings

    Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

    Land Protection Division

    (405) 702-5100

  • Region 7 - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinator

    Marcus Rivas

    (913) 551-7669

    Rivas.Marcus@epa.gov

    Nebraska Delistings

    Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality

    Waste Management Division

    (402) 471-2186

  • Region 8 - Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinator

    Unassigned

    (303) 312-6312 (Main Region 8 Phone Number)

    Colorado Delistings

    Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

    Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division

    (303) 692-3300

    Montana Delistings

    Montana Department of Environmental Quality

    Hazardous Waste Program

    (406) 444-5300

    North Dakota Delistings

    North Dakota Department of Health

    Division of Waste Management

    (701) 328-5166

    South Dakota Delistings

    South Dakota Department of the Environment and Natural Resources

    Waste Management Program

    (605) 773-3153

    Utah Delistings

    Utah Department of Environmental Quality

    Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control

    (801) 536-0200

    Wyoming Delistings

    Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

    Solid and Hazardous Waste Division

    (307) 777-8937

  • Region 10 - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
    EPA Regional Delistings Coordinator

    Dave Bartus

    (206) 553-2804

    bartus.dave@epa.gov

    Oregon Delistings

    Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

    Division of Land Quality

    (503) 234-3000

    Idaho Delistings

    Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

    Waste Management and Remediation

    (208) 373-0148

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Where Can I Find Out Which Wastes Have Been Delisted?

To look up the facilities that successfully petitioned EPA for a delisting, view the Appendix IX of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 261.

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Key Resource

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Step 1: Is the material a solid waste? Step 2: Is the waste excluded from the definition of solid waste or hazardous waste? Step 3: Is the wasted listed or characteristic hazardous waste? Step 4 Is the waste delisted?