Three Key LDR Program Prohibitions

The LDR program is designed to meet the goal of protecting groundwater through three primary prohibitions, referred to as the disposal, dilution, and storage prohibitions. Each of these are described as follows:

• The Disposal Prohibition: This set of regulations focuses on standards that must be met before hazardous waste may be disposed of on land. Under these rules, waste handlers must treat hazardous waste or meet specific levels for hazardous constituents within the waste.
• The Dilution Prohibition: Dilution refers to the process of mixing hazardous material with non-hazardous material in order to reduce the concentration of the hazardous material. In general, dilution is not considered to be an acceptable method of treatment and is prohibited. However, there are several situations in which the EPA does permit dilution.
• The Storage Prohibition: While it may seem easier to simply store hazardous wastes rather than to treat and dispose of them properly, this practice is not permitted under the LDR program. The LDR program offers some flexibility in the storage regulations, however, in order to allow handlers to accumulate sufficient quantities of waste for proper recycling, treatment, or disposal. The regulations set forth in the LDR program state that during the first year of the storage of hazardous wastes, the burden of proving that the handler is breaking the storage prohibition rests on the EPA.

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