Inspection Requirements

Owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities must regularly inspect their facility and its equipment to ensure safety. Inspections must be made often enough to correct problems before they harm either human health or the environment. Concerns that must be identified include the following:

• Malfunctions
• Deterioration
• Operator errors
• Any discharges that may lead to release of hazardous waste

Inspections must be performed regularly, on a written schedule. These inspections must be kept at the facility. They must cover the following:

• Monitoring equipment
• Safety and emergency equipment
• Security devices
• Operating and structural equipment (such as dikes and sump pumps)

The owner or operator of the TSDF must retain the records of these inspections for at least three years from the date of inspection. If the owner or operator detects problems, he or she must remedy the situation. The problems must be remedied on a timely schedule that prevents the problem from leading to an environmental or human health hazard. If a hazard is about to occur or has already occurred, the fix must be completed immediately.

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