EPA Regulatory Information

Air Cycle Corporation provides the information in this section in order to familiarize with the regulations governing lamp disposal, and to identify the government agency that may regulate their operations. Please use this information as a starting point to determine how their facilities are regulated. Customers are cautioned against relying solely on the information contained below and should contact their state environmental protection agency for more information to determine how lamps are regulated in the states in which they operate.

• Regulations Summary
• Why is mercury an environmental concern?
• How do I know if my waste is hazardous?
• What's Hazardous?
• What are Universal Wastes?
• Does Quantity Matter?
• How do I get more information on these regulations?

How do I get more information on these regulations?

Call Air Cycle today at (800) 909-9709 or email info@aircycle.com.

Click on a state below for detailed regulation information

Stringency Table - Types of Exemptions for Lamps

The chart below provides examples of state regulations compared to the EPA regulations.
We strongly recommend that you discuss stringency with your primary state regulatory contact. This information should not be interpreted as definitive legal guidance. This document was produced in June 2004, and we do not guarantee its accuracy after that date, as state policies may change at any time.

("same" means the state policy is the same as the federal policy)

State Regulatory Contacts

PLEASE NOTE:
The primary contact is the first person you should reach for information on recycling and mercury-lamp management.
If the primary contact is not available, or if you are seeking a particular regulatory expertise, use the secondary contacts listed here.

More Resources

[1] Crushing lamps intentionally is considered ōtreatmentö of a hazardous waste. Regulations allow generators, in some cases, to treat their own waste without having to get permits or authorization from their states. No one, however, is allowed to treat someone elseÆs hazardous waste without specific authorization and/or permitting from the state. Commercial lamp recyclers treat lamps during the recycling process and are usually considered ōDestination Facilitiesö subject to permitting. Generators who treat their own lamps may do so, but when they do the lamps lose their ōUniversal Wasteö status and are considered fully-regulated hazardous waste, subject to numerous more stringent federal standards than Universal Wastes. Unless a state policy allows generators to crush and still manage as UW, generators who crush are subjecting themselves to increased costs and regulatory burden. EPA has not approved any portable or mobile crushing technologies.

[2] In California, to qualify as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Universal Waste Generator, the combined weight of universal waste and RCRA hazardous waste generated in a calendar month may not exceed 100 kilograms (220 pounds), not counting cathode ray tubes and CRT devices, and the weight of acute hazardous waste generated per month may not exceed 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and the number of CRT devices (defined as any electronic device that contains one or more CTRs, including but not limited to computer monitors, televisions, cash registers and oscilloscopes) generated in a year may not exceed 5. If a generator exceeds any of these amounts, then all lamps are regulated. If a generator remains below all these amounts then the 30 lamp per month exemption applies.

[3] Update 07/12-04 New Law S7399 - Effective as soon as DEC prepares regulations.