Incineration of Hazardous Waste

An incinerator is an enclosed device that uses controlled flame to dispose of hazardous waste. In addition to flame, an incineration unit may also use infrared heat or plasma arc to burn the material. Any incinerator that is to be used for the disposal of hazardous waste must be designed, constructed and maintained such that it meets certain technical requirements, including hourly emissions limits.

With the exception of approved trial burns, a facility may only burn wastes that are specified in the permit issued by the EPA regional administrator and must adhere to the operating requirements specified in the permit. Minimum monitoring and inspection schedules must be met, and the results of these must be recorded and maintained as part of the operating record for five years. When the facility is closed, it is the responsibility of the owner or operator to remove all hazardous waste and residues of the hazardous waste from the location. If the residue that must be removed from the incinerator cannot be proven to be non-hazardous, the owner or operator becomes a generator of hazardous waste.

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