Surface Impoundment Failures

A surface impoundment is defined as a lagoon or pond designed to hold waste materials and prevent their escape to the environment. A surface impoundment must be removed from service when one of the following events occurs:

• The level of liquid in the impoundment area drops suddenly and without explanation.
• The earth dike leaks.

In these cases, the owner or operator of the impoundment must stop the flow or addition of new wastes to the impoundment, and immediately address the cause of the leakage. The facility must take all necessary steps to stop or prevent a major failure. If it is not possible to stop the leak, the facility must empty the impoundment and notify the EPA regional administrator. The facility must completely restore the impoundment and have it re-certified by the EPA before the impoundment can be returned to service.

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