Federal Waste Exclusions

In general, hazardous waste regulations in California tend to be broader in scope and more stringent than the Federal rules. If you are more familiar with the Federal hazardous waste system, you will find that the California system recognizes additional materials as wastes that are not considered wastes in the Federal system (40 CFR 261.2 ). For example, some of the materials that are excluded from the Federal regulations as wastes, but are recognized as wastes in California are:

• Domestic sewage
• Irrigation return flows
• Spent wood preserving solutions
• Refinery wastes recycled to coke ovens
• Pulping liquors
• Condenser dross residue from the treatment of K061 wastes
• Oil bearing materials returned to oil refinery processes
• Scrap metal that is being recycled
• Shredded circuit boards being recycled
• Condensates from kraft mill steam strippers
• Comparable fuels/synthetic gas fuels
• Secondary materials from mineral processing
• Petrochemical recovered oil, spent caustic solutions from petroleum refining used to produce cresylic or naphthenic acid

Activity 2b: Federal Waste Exclusions