PDFWAC 173-303-600
Final facility standards.
Purpose, scope, and applicability.
(1) Final facility standards are established in WAC 173-303-600 through 173-303-695, and also include WAC 173-303-280 through 173-303-395. Final facility standards are minimum statewide standards which describe the acceptable management of dangerous waste.
(2) The final facility standards apply to owners and operators of all facilities which treat, store or dispose of dangerous waste, and which are not exempted by subsection (3) of this section. Only permitted facilities which treat, store or dispose of dangerous waste and owners or operators of a facility which recycles dangerous waste in compliance with subsection (5) of this section can receive dangerous waste from off-site sources, unless exempted by subsection (3) of this section.
(3) The final facility standards do not apply to:
(a) Persons whose disposal activities are permitted under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, except that storage, or treatment facilities where dangerous waste is loaded onto an ocean vessel for incineration or disposal at sea are subject to final facility standards;
(b) Persons whose disposal activities are permitted under the underground injection control program of the Safe Drinking Water Act, except that storage, or treatment facilities needed to handle dangerous wastes are subject to final facility standards;
(c) The owner or operator of a POTW which treats, stores, or disposes of dangerous waste provided they have a permit by rule pursuant to the requirements of WAC 173-303-802(4);
(d) A generator accumulating waste on site in compliance with all applicable requirements in WAC 173-303-171, 173-303-172, 173-303-174, 173-303-200 and 173-303-201;
(e) The owner or operator of a facility which is permitted to manage solid waste pursuant to chapter 173-350 WAC, if the only dangerous waste the facility manages is excluded from regulation under this chapter by WAC 173-303-171;
(f) A farmer disposing of waste pesticides from their own use provided they comply with WAC 173-303-160 (2)(b);
(g) A transporter storing a manifested shipment of dangerous waste for ten days or less in accordance with WAC 173-303-240(6);
(h) Any person, other than an owner or operator who is already subject to the final facility standards, who is carrying out an immediate or emergency response to contain or treat a discharge or potential discharge of a dangerous waste or hazardous substance;
(i) The owner or operator of a facility which is in compliance with the interim status requirements of WAC 173-303-400 and 173-303-805, until final administrative disposition of their final facility permit;
(j) The owner or operator of a totally enclosed treatment facility as defined in WAC 173-303-040, provided that they have a permit by rule pursuant to the requirements of WAC 173-303-802(5);
(k) The addition, by a generator, of absorbent material to waste in a container, or of waste to absorbent material in a container, provided that these actions occur at the time the waste is first placed in containers or, in the case of repackaging of previously containerized waste into new containers, at the time the waste is first placed into the new containers and the generator complies with all applicable requirements of WAC 173-303-200 and 173-303-201 for large quantity generators, WAC 173-303-172 for medium quantity generators, and WAC 173-303-395 (1)(a) and (b);
(l) The compaction or sorting of miscellaneous waste forms such as cans, rags, and bottles in a container, so long as the activity is solely for the purpose of reducing waste void space, and so long as these activities are conducted in a manner that protects human health and prevents any release to the environment and the generator complies with all applicable requirements of WAC 173-303-200 and 173-303-201 for large quantity generators, WAC 173-303-172 for medium quantity generators, and WAC 173-303-395 (1)(a) and (b);
(m) Generators treating dangerous waste on-site in tanks, containers, or containment buildings that are used for accumulation of such wastes provided the generator complies with the WAC 173-303-170 (2)(b);
(n) The owner or operator of an elementary neutralization unit or a wastewater treatment unit as defined in WAC 173-303-040, provided that they have a permit by rule pursuant to the requirements of WAC 173-303-802(5) and provided that if the owner or operator is diluting hazardous ignitable (D001) wastes (other than the D001 High TOC Subcategory defined in 40 C.F.R. section 268.40, Table Treatment Standards for Hazardous Wastes), or reactive (D003) waste, to remove the characteristic before land disposal, the owner/operator must comply with the requirements set out in WAC 173-303-395 (1)(a);
(o) Universal waste handlers and universal waste transporters (as defined in WAC 173-303-040) handling the wastes listed below. These handlers are subject to regulation under WAC 173-303-573, when handling the below listed universal wastes.
(i) Batteries as described in WAC 173-303-573(2);
(ii) Mercury-containing equipment as described in WAC 173-303-573(3); and
(iii) Lamps as described in WAC 173-303-573(5);
(p)(i) Except as provided in (p)(ii) of this subsection, a person engaged in treatment or containment activities during immediate response to any of the following situations:
(A) A discharge of a dangerous waste;
(B) An imminent and substantial threat of a discharge of dangerous waste;
(C) A discharge of a material that, when discharged, becomes a dangerous waste;
(D) An immediate threat to human health, public safety, property, or the environment, from the known or suspected presence of military munitions, other explosive material, or an explosive device, as determined by an explosive or munitions emergency response specialist as defined in WAC 173-303-040.
(ii) An owner or operator of a facility otherwise regulated by WAC 173-303-600 must comply with all applicable requirements of WAC 173-303-340 and 173-303-350.
(iii) Any person who is covered by (p)(i) of this subsection and who continues or initiates dangerous waste treatment or containment activities after the immediate response is over is subject to all applicable requirements of this chapter for those activities.
(iv) In the case of an explosives or munitions emergency response, if a federal, state, tribal or local official acting within the scope of their official responsibilities, or an explosives or munitions emergency response specialist, determines that immediate removal of the material or waste is necessary to protect human health or the environment, that official or specialist may authorize the removal of the material or waste by transporters who do not have EPA/state identification numbers and without the preparation of a manifest. In the case of emergencies involving military munitions, the responding military emergency response specialist's organizational unit must retain records for three years identifying the dates of the response, the responsible persons responding, the type and description of material addressed, and its disposition;
(q) WAC 173-303-578 identifies when the requirements of WAC 173-303-600 apply to the storage of military munitions classified as solid waste under WAC 173-303-578(2). The treatment and disposal of dangerous waste military munitions are subject to the applicable permitting, procedural, and technical standards in this chapter;
(r) Reverse distributors accumulating potentially creditable dangerous waste pharmaceuticals and evaluated dangerous waste pharmaceuticals, as defined in WAC 173-303-555(1). Reverse distributors are subject to regulation under WAC 173-303-555 in lieu of this part for accumulation and management of potentially creditable dangerous waste pharmaceuticals and evaluated dangerous waste pharmaceuticals.
(4) (Reserved.)
(5) The owner or operator of a facility which recycles dangerous waste may, for such recycled wastes only, comply with the applicable recycling standards specified in WAC 173-303-120 and 173-303-500 through 173-303-525 in lieu of the final facility standards.
(6) The owner or operator must comply with the special land disposal restrictions for certain dangerous wastes in WAC 173-303-140.
(7) The final facility requirements apply to owners or operators of all facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous wastes referred to in 40 C.F.R. Part 268, which is incorporated by reference at WAC 173-303-140(2).
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105, 70.105D RCW and Subtitle C of RCRA. WSR 20-20-045 (Order 19-07), § 173-303-600, filed 9/30/20, effective 10/31/20. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105, 70.105D RCW and RCRA. WSR 19-04-038 (Order 16-03), § 173-303-600, filed 1/28/19, effective 4/28/19. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105 RCW. WSR 15-01-123 (Order 13-07), § 173-303-600, filed 12/18/14, effective 1/18/15. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW. WSR 09-14-105 (Order 07-12), § 173-303-600, filed 6/30/09, effective 7/31/09. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105, 70.105D, and 15.54 RCW and RCW 70.105.007. WSR 04-24-065 (Order 03-10), § 173-303-600, filed 11/30/04, effective 1/1/05; WSR 00-11-040 (Order 99-01), § 173-303-600, filed 5/10/00, effective 6/10/00. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW. WSR 98-03-018 (Order 97-03), § 173-303-600, filed 1/12/98, effective 2/12/98; WSR 95-22-008 (Order 94-30), § 173-303-600, filed 10/19/95, effective 11/19/95; WSR 94-01-060 (Order 92-33), § 173-303-600, filed 12/8/93, effective 1/8/94. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW, 40 C.F.R. Part 271.3 and RCRA § 3006 (42 U.S.C. 3251). WSR 91-07-005 (Order 90-42), § 173-303-600, filed 3/7/91, effective 4/7/91. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105 RCW. WSR 88-18-083 (Order 88-29), § 173-303-600, filed 9/6/88; WSR 88-07-039 (Order 87-37), § 173-303-600, filed 3/11/88; WSR 87-14-029 (Order DE-87-4), § 173-303-600, filed 6/26/87; WSR 86-12-057 (Order DE-85-10), § 173-303-600, filed 6/3/86; WSR 84-09-088 (Order DE 83-36), § 173-303-600, filed 4/18/84. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105 RCW and RCW 70.95.260. WSR 82-05-023 (Order DE 81-33), § 173-303-600, filed 2/10/82.]