EPA Launches National Electronic Hazardous Waste Tracking System

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): The EPA has launched the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System (e-Manifest). The system will improve access to higher quality and more timely hazardous waste shipment data and save industry and states valuable time and resources to the tune of $90 million annually. “Creation of the e-Manifest system demonstrates EPA’s commitment to innovation and robust collaboration with states and the private sector,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Through this extensive modernization of the hazardous waste program, the e-Manifest system will significantly reduce regulatory burdens and save businesses and states valuable time and resources, while improving protection of human health and the environment.”

“ASTSWMO is looking forward to the launch of the e-manifest system and continuing to work with EPA to ensure a smooth transition occurs,” said the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials’ (ASTSWMO) Hazardous Waste Subcommittee.  “The e-manifest system will allow the States to more efficiently review hazardous waste manifest data, thus ensuring better protection of human health and the environment.”

Starting June 30, 2018, users must submit all manifests, whether paper or electronic, to EPA’s e-Manifest system. There will be several ways to submit manifests to EPA, ranging from mailing conventional paper to full electronic delivery. Receiving facilities will pay a fee that varies based on how the manifest is submitted.

The e-Manifest system, authorized by the 2012 e-Manifest Act, enables electronic tracking of hazardous wastes and will serve as a national reporting hub and database for all hazardous waste manifests and shipment data. Once electronic practices are widely adopted, EPA estimates e-Manifest will ultimately reduce the burden associated with preparing paper shipping manifests, saving state and industry users, on average, about $90 million annually. Complete transition to electronic manifests will be phased in. EPA will continue to conduct ongoing outreach to states and industry.

The Agency will also re-evaluate whether additional security measures are necessary for a small subset of manifest data about certain acute hazardous wastes. In the interim, EPA will be working directly with impacted receiving facilities on specific procedures related to those manifests. Additionally, EPA recently announced it would grant receiving facilities extra time to submit paper manifests in the initial months after system launch to further support industry implementation. Facilities that receive manifested waste between June 30, 2018 and September 1, 2018 will now have until September 30, 2018 to send those paper manifests to EPA.

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com