Land Disposal Restrictions - Key Terms

Debris refers to manufactured items and naturally occurring materials that contain or are contaminated with hazardous wastes (for example, rocks, branches, used lumber, or dismantled machinery).

Lab packs are large containers (for example, a 55-gallon drum) that are filled with many small containers of hazardous waste packed in non-biodegradable absorbent materials.

Land disposal restrictions, or LDRs, are extensive technical standards developed for land-based units (for example, landfills) by the EPA and set forth in the RCRA regulations. LDRs are designed to protect human health and the environment from the dangers caused by groundwater contamination.

Land treatment units are locations in which land is treated to remove toxic contaminants from the soil often through a process of bioremediation in which microorganisms or other forms of life consume and break down contaminants.

LDR prohibitions are the three requirements with which owners and operators of land treatment units must comply. The LDR prohibitions address the disposal, dilution, and storage of land-based hazardous waste disposal.

Soil gas is the gas that occupies the spaces between soil particles.

Soil vapor extraction system, or SVE, refers to a device used for decontaminating soil. The SVE system applies a vacuum to a mass of soil. The vacuum pulls out the soil gas along with the toxic chemicals it contains.

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