Structure of RCRA Regulations

The RCRA law is made up of ten parts, called "subtitles," which cover general provisions and establish the legal framework upon which the RCRA regulations are based. Through a process of "codification," each subtitle of the law is translated into enforceable regulations. The codified RCRA regulations can be found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 239 through 282.

Throughout this course, you will see references to the code, for example, 40 CFR 263. In this example, "40" refers to Title 40, "CFR" refers to the Code of Federal Regulations, and "263" refers to Part 263, which addresses the transportation of hazardous waste.

The parts of the RCRA code are organized as follows:

• 40 CFR Parts 239 through 259 - Non-hazardous waste (regulations governing solid waste)
• 40 CFR Parts 260 through 273 - Hazardous waste (regulations governing hazardous waste identification, classification, generations, management, and disposal)
• 40 CFR Parts 279 through 282 - Other RCRA regulations (regulations governing the management of used oil and underground storage tanks)

To learn more about RCRA safety standards visit our RCRA Refresher Online Training web page.