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Common Hazardous Waste Acronyms and Abbreviations

Posted: 2/5/13

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If I were going to stick with the old saying, I would say that “if you had told me a few years ago that I would one day have a job that required me to look up RCRA waste regulations on a regular basis I would have laughed in your face.” In reality though, I probably would have asked you what RCRA even stood for (for the record, it’s the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act).

Since working in this field I have realized that outside of those of us who deal with it on a regular basis, many people don’t know what the different abbreviations and acronyms associated with waste regulations and recycling. Luckily, at one of our RCRA courses I was given the following list of “Common Hazardous Material/Waste Acronyms and Recognized Abbreviations.”  Hopefully you will find the list as helpful as I do!

  • ACM – Asbestos Containing Material
  • AST – Aboveground Storage Tank
  • BDAT – Best Demonstrated Available Technology
  • BIF – Boiler & Industrial Furnaces
  • CAMU – Corrective Action Management Unit
  • CAS RN – Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number
  • CERCLA – Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, & Liability Act (“Super-fund”)
  • CERCLIS – Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, & Liability Information System (Inventory), formerly the ERRIS List
  • CESQG – Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator
  • CFR  – Code of Federal Regulations
  • 40 CFR – Protection of the Environment – U.S. EPA
  • 49 CFR – Transportation – U.S. DOT
  • 29 CFR – General Industry Standards – OSHA
  • CHEMTREC – Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CMA)
  • CKD – Cement Kiln Dust
  • CMA – Chemical Manufacturers Association
  • CMBST – Combustion: Incineration/Fuel Substitution (Specified Technology Treatment Standard)
  • CMS – Corrective Measures Study
  • CWA – Clean Water Act
  • CWT – Centralized Waste Treatment Industry
  • DEACT – Deactivate (Specified Technology Treatment Standard)
  • DOT – U.S. Department of Transportation
  • EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • EPCRA – Emergency Planning & Community Right to Know Act (Title III of SARA)
  • FR – Federal Register
  • HHW – Household Hazardous Wastes
  • HMT – Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR 172.101)
  • HMTA – Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
  • HOC – Halogenated Organic Compound (Appendix III of 40 CFR Part 268)
  • HSWA – Hazardous & Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (to RCRA)
  • HTMR – High Temperature Metal Recovery
  • HWIR – Hazardous Waste Identification Rule
  • HWM – Hazardous Waste Management
  • LDR – Land Disposal Restrictions
  • LQG – Large Quantity Generator
  • MCL – Maximum Contaminant Level
  • MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet
  • NCP – National Oil & Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National Contingency Plan – 40 CFR Part 300)
  • NIOSH – National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
  • Non WW – Non-Wastewater (category)
  • Nos – Not Otherwise Specified
  • NPDES -National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
  • NPL – National Priorities List
  • NRC – National Response Center
  • O/O – Owner/Operator
  • ORM – Other Regulated Material
  • OSHA – U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration
  • PCB – Polychlorinated Biphenyl
  • PEL – Permissible Exposure Limit
  • POTW – Publicly Owned Treatment Works (Sewage Treatment Plant)
  • PRP – Potentially Responsible Party (often Responsible Party (RP))
  • RCRA – Resource Conservation & Recovery Act of 1976
  • RFA/RFI – RCRA Facility Assessment/RCRA Facility Investigation
  • RI/FS – Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study
  • RORGS – Recovery of Organics (Specified Technology Treatment Standard)
  • RQ – Reportable Quantity
  • RSPA – Research & Special Programs Administration (DOT)
  • SARA – Superfund Amendments & Reauthorization Act of 1986 (to CERCLA)
  • SDWA – Safe Drinking Water Act
  • SIC – Standard Industrial Classification (Code)
  • SPCC – Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasures (Plan)
  • SQG – Small Quantity Generator
  • SWDA – Solid Waste Disposal Act (RCRA Predecessor)
  • SWMU – Solid Waste Management Unit (often SMU)
  • SW-846 – Test Methods for Solid Waste: Physical/Chemical Methods
  • TAR – Toxics Along for the Ride
  • TC – Toxicity Characteristic
  • TCLP – Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
  • TLV – Threshold Limit Value
  • TPH – Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
  • TRI – Toxic Release Inventory
  • TSCA – Toxic Substances Control Act
  • TSD – Treatment, Storage, or Disposal Facility (often TSDF)
  • UHC – Underlying Hazardous Constituents
  • UHWM – Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
  • UIC – Underground Injection Control
  • UST – Underground Storage Tank
  • UTS – Universal Treatment Standards
  • VOC – Volatile Organic Compound (Chemical)
  • WW – Wastewater (category)
  • WWT – Wastewater Treatment

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