Closure Procedures

During the process of closing down a hazardous waste facility, all contaminated equipment, structures, and soils must be either decontaminated or properly disposed of. In situations where the remaining hazardous waste or contaminated soil must be transported elsewhere for treatment as part of the closure, the waste facility is considered to be a generator of hazardous waste. In these cases, the owner or operator must handle this waste in accordance with the RCRA regulations pertaining to generators of hazardous waste found in 40 CFR 262.

As part of the post-closure plan, owners and operators must make financial and logistical arrangements for groundwater monitoring and facility maintenance which must continue for the next 30 years. In some cases, the EPA regional administrator may extend or shorten this time.

Although, in some cases, the property may be used for other purposes following closure, any use of the property must not be permitted to damage the final cover, liners, or any other containment systems that were put in place to prevent the release of hazardous materials. In some cases, the EPA regional administrator may permit alterations to these containment systems, if it determines that the alterations pose no threat to human health or the environment.

To learn more about RCRA visit our RCRA Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.