S. 4856: Remote Waste Storage Act

This bill would change federal hazardous waste rules to give certain remote generators more time to keep hazardous waste on site before moving it to a treatment, storage, or disposal facility.

What the bill changes

Under current law, the Solid Waste Disposal Act generally limits how long some hazardous waste can be accumulated at a site without meeting stricter storage requirements. This bill would add a new exception for generators that:

• do not have year-round surface transportation access to a treatment, storage, or disposal facility, and
• store the hazardous waste in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

For those generators, the bill would allow onsite storage for up to 2 years.

Plain-language effect

In practical terms, the bill is aimed at places that are hard to reach by road or other surface transport during part of the year, such as some remote areas. If a facility in one of those areas cannot regularly ship hazardous waste offsite because transportation is not available year-round, it could temporarily keep that waste onsite for longer than the standard period, as long as it follows all other legal requirements.

What the bill does not do

• It does not change the basic definition of hazardous waste.
• It does not eliminate existing safety, handling, or environmental rules.
• It does not apply to all facilities; it is limited to generators lacking year-round surface transportation access.
• It does not create a permanent storage authorization; the extension is limited to 2 years.

Relevant Companies

None found.