About RCRIS Data

RCRIS was last updated on RTK NET with a set of EPA data made on July 21, 2008. Note that the abbreviation "RCRIS" is not strictly accurate -- EPA has converted from its old data system holding RCRA data, the RCRA Information System (RCRIS) to a new one called RCRAInfo. The data on RTK NET are from the new system, RCRAInfo. However, RCRAInfo includes both data on hazardous waste permits and activities (which used to held in RCRIS) and data on biennial hazardous waste generation and transfer forms (which used to be held in BRS). RTK NET still keeps the two sets of information seperate, both because of presentation issues and for continiuty with historical data, so RTK NET still preserves the name "RCRIS" for all RCRA data except for the biennial waste forms.

The data in RCRAInfo consist of information about generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers of hazardous waste, which are required to give certain reports about their activities to state-level regulators. These regulators pass the information on to Federal EPA. The law regulating the provision of this information is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984. Data includes permit status, compliance and violation information, and cleanup activities.

The RCRIS database, unlike many EPA databases, does not have "reporting years". It is a continuously updated set of data that includes records from the early years of RCRA through the present.

Users should note that RTK NET's search program searches using only the most current information for each handler. For instance, if a handler's name has changed over the years, only its most recent name (as reported to EPA) will be used if you search for a handler by name. Also, some handlers have information records for out-of-state activities, such as multi-state enforcements or transporter activities across states. Only the information in the handler's home state will be used in the search. Once you retrieve a handler in a search, all of its associated old information and out-of-state information records will be displayed -- it's only the search for handlers that does not use them, in order to avoid false positive hits.

RCRIS data can also be obtained through an EPA Envirofacts Query Form.

Glossary

There are a few important terms that are used in a specialized fashion within this documentation:

Handler: The term "handler" usually means the same thing as "facility", but RCRA Handlers may also be waste transporters that include mobile waste haulers whose activity spans multiple states.
LQG, SQG, CESQG: These are types of waste generation status for a handler. LQG refers to Large Quantity Generator of hazardous waste, SQG is Small Quantity Generator, and CESQG is Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (conditionally exempt from certain types of reporting). A Web search will reveal the detailed basis for these classifications if you need to know them, but at the most basic level, LQGs are the largest generators of hazardous waste.
TSD: Treatment, Storage, or Disposal of hazardous waste. This generally also includes recycling. Handlers that have a TSD waste unit are generally referred to as TSDs (sometimes TSDFs, for TSD Facility). RCRA classifies TSD waste units as being within the categories Treatment, Storage, Land Disposal (e.g. landfill), Incineration, and Boiler/Industrial Furnace (BIF).
Corrective Action: A corrective action is a clean up of escaped or spilled waste, usually though not always at an operating facility.

Ways to obtain RCRIS Data

RTK NET currently provides three "standard reports" through which users may obtain RCRIS data. These all produce the same set of information for each handler found, but allow searches by different sets of associated data fields. They are:

Area Search

Area reports are intended to help you find out about all handlers based within a geographic area - a city, county, zip code, or state. If you are looking for information on all handlers in a city, you should not fill in the county unless there are multiple cities with the same name in your state. You must fill in a state to use this report.

Handler Search

Handler reports are intended to help you find out about a single handler, though you can also try to find multiple handlers owned by a single company if they have similar names. You can use an "*" as a wildcard within names. You can also specify a single handler by its RCRA ID if you know it; if you do so, you should not fill in its handler name.

Industry Search

Industry reports are intended to help you find out about handlers within a single industry as defined by a NAICS code. You can also limit your search by state.

Other notes on reports

All of the reports allow you to restrict the search by type of handler, and to handlers with violations only. You can also control the output of your search by choosing the level of detail, type of output, and Email address if any. Each of these options is explained in more detail in the next section.

If you have any questions, comments, or found any bugs in these reports please either send RTK NET mail to rtkhelp@rtknet.org or call us at 202-234-8494.

Individual data fields

Additional help is available through the help file associated with RCRIS standard report output.