Generator category

No. The federal and state regulations use different terms to identify generator categories. Keep this in mind when reading through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) guidance and rules.

If your waste counts fall into more than one generator category, apply the more stringent generator category to your business. For instance, if you generated 200 pounds of dangerous waste, but 2.3 pounds of AHW, then you are an LQG.

If your generator category goes down, you remain in the higher generator category until all of the dangerous waste that was on-site at the time you became fully regulated has been properly treated or disposed. Only then can you operate under the rules for the smaller generator category. This includes dangerous wastes in satellite accumulation areas (SAAs).

If your generator category goes up, begin to follow the rules for your new generator category (medium or large quantity generator) immediately. Remember to meet all recordkeeping requirements.

If you have questions about your generator category, call your regional Ecology office and ask a hazardous waste compliance specialist for help. If you want to learn about reducing waste streams and possibly lowering your generator category, request a technical assistance visit.

If you are an SQG or MQG and you generate more dangerous waste than normal because of a special project or unusual event, you may be able to follow the rules for episodic generation:

• Episodic waste does not affect your generator category.
• Rules for episodic generation applies only to the waste generated from the episodic event.
• Not all events qualify as episodic generation.

If you did not generate any dangerous waste one month, you still need to designate any new wastes the next month to determine your generator category.

A facility qualifies as an XQG (no dangerous wastes generated) on the Dangerous Waste Report only when they do not generate dangerous waste in a calendar year. All facilities are required to submit a Dangerous Waste Report report if they meet any of the following criteria:

• Have an active EPA/State Identification Number.
• Generate special waste.
• Are a dangerous waste transporter (i.e., are allowed to transport waste they did not generate). 

The following dangerous wastes are toxic in small amounts and have a QEL of 2.2 pounds:

• P-listed (P001-P205) acute hazardous waste (AHW).
• F020-F023 AHW.
• F026 and F027 AHW.
• WT01 extremely hazardous waste (EHW).

The following dangerous wastes have a QEL of 220 pounds:

• U-listed: U001-U411.
• K-listed: K001-K181.
• F-listed: F001-F019, F024-F025, and F028-F039.
• Characteristic dangerous wastes: D001-D043.
• State-only dangerous waste: WT02, WSC2, WPCB, WP01-WP03.