On Friday, April 26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) once and for all a 2014 petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to list discarded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). 91制片厂 has previously reported on this issue when 91制片厂 to the EPA, and when there was a tentative ruling from EPA siding with 91制片厂. This win comes in a large part thanks to the nearly who took action and encouraged EPA not to move forward with regulating PVC.
Regulating PVC as a hazardous waste would create significant regulatory risk and new liability exposure for construction firms. It also could significantly increase construction materials costs, disrupt waste management practices and put beneficial reuse and recycling activities in jeopardy.
According to EPA, CBD鈥檚 petition, even as supplemented by information received through the public comment period, does not show that discarded PVC is 鈥渃apable of posing a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment鈥 and EPA鈥檚 existing regulatory framework is sufficient to address potential environmental risks. As such, the agency is not making any regulatory changes at this time.
91制片厂 environmental leadership also met with EPA staff to underscore concerns about any changes in the regulatory status of PVC, noting how it could increase construction materials cost, impact waste management, disrupt already beleaguered supply chains, and put beneficial reuse and recycling activities in jeopardy.
For more information, contact Melinda Tomaino or John Chambers.