The USEPA identifies two broad categories of hazardous waste, which in turn are each further divided into four sub-categories:

1.  Listed hazardous waste (40 CFR 261, Subpart D).

• Non-specific sources (F-codes).
• Specific sources (K-codes).
• Discarded commercial chemical products, off-specification species, container residues, and spill residues thereof (P-codes & U-codes).

2.  Characteristic hazardous waste (40 CFR 261, Subpart C).

• Ignitability (D001).
• Corrosivity (D002).
• Reactivity (D003).
• Toxicity (D004 – D043).

For the Federal regulations of the USEPA and those of most states with an authorized hazardous waste program, those identified above are the only hazardous waste subject to “cradle to grave” regulation under Subtitle C of RCRA.  Some states, however, have exercised their authority to create their own state-specific hazardous waste; an example of this is Minnesota which created two additional characteristic hazardous wastes in addition to the four Federal characteristic hazardous wastes it also recognizes:

• Oxidizer (D001)
• Lethality (MN01)

This article will summarize the Minnesota-specific hazardous waste characteristic for Lethality.  Readers requiring more information than provided in this article should refer to a guidance document provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA):  The Lethality Characteristic – A Minnesota-specific hazardous waste characteristic. (more…)