E&P Waste

Wastes Generated from the Exploration, Development, and Production of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, & Geothermal that are NOT Excluded from Regulation as a Hazardous Waste

Many wastes generated during the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal (E&P Wastes) are excluded from regulation as a hazardous waste pursuant to a RCRA conditional exclusion at 40 CFR 261.4(b)(5).  While an earlier article listed examples of wastes generated by the crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal industry during their exploration, production, and development that are excluded from regulation as hazardous waste, there are other wastes from the same industries and similar processes that are not excluded.  A list of some examples of non-exempt E&P Wastes follows:

Oil and gas exploration

Generators of hazardous waste require training

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Wastes Generated from the Exploration, Development, and Production of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, & Geothermal (E&P Wastes) that are Excluded from Regulation as Hazardous Waste

The regulations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enforced by the USEPA and states with an authorized hazardous waste program (Does Your State Have an Authorized Hazardous Waste Program?) requires the cradle-to-grave management of all hazardous waste.  For various reasons, some wastes that might otherwise be a hazardous waste are instead excluded from full regulation and allowed to be managed as non-hazardous solid waste.  One group of six (6) such de-regulated wastes are known collectively as “special wastes”, and one of these six (6) are the wastes generated through the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy.  The purpose of this article is to list examples of exempt E&P Wastes.  A later article will identify examples of non-exempt E&P Wastes.

Wastes from exploration, development, and production of oil or gas or geothermal

Certain wastes generated by the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas or geothermal resources are not hazardous waste.

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