Treatment Alternatives for Contaminated Soil

Contaminated soil is designated by the EPA as a unique type of treatable waste. Hazardous waste sites often produce contaminated soil, which must be handled as contaminated waste. Because the treatments designated for wastewater and non-wastewater hazardous materials cannot be easily applied to contaminated soil, the EPA developed a special set of rules to ensure that this type of hazardous material was properly treated.

Soil that is contaminated with hazardous materials cannot be disposed of using land disposal until it has been treated to meet LDR program standards. The soil may be treated to meet the requirements of either the waste-specific treatment standards set out by the LDR program or to meet the soil-specific standards found in 40 CFR 268.49.

The soil standards require reduction of any hazardous elements present in the soil by 90 percent or 10 times the Universal Treatment Standards (UTS), whichever is achieved first.

When cleanup is required for sites where toxic chemicals have leached into the ground, several methods of remediation may be employed. One method is to remove the soil and transport it to a hazardous waste treatment facility so that it can be treated to meet LDR program standards. Alternatively, the waste handler may install a cap made of asphalt or a different material over the site to completely contain the contaminated soil.

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