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The article focuses on the redefinition of solid waste by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulation. The rule establishes an exclusion which streamlines management requirements for hazardous secondary materials reclaimed under the generator's control and those which are transferred for legitimate reclamation. Its final rule contains significant provision in determining legitimate recycling.

The article presents the issuance of the final amendments to the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan requirements, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December 2006. Such changes include the alternative compliance option for qualified facilities, revised definition for oil-filled operational equipment, and the exemption from the SPCC rule for certain motive power containers. Meanwhile, the EPA has requested comment on extending the date of the preparation or amendment of the SPCC plans for implementation. Such proposal will allow the facility in operation to make further revisions in 2007 to the SPCC rule.

This article examines the new rules on low-sulfur diesel fuels published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. in May 2006. The newest addition to the agency's compliment of rules affecting the diesel fuel industry was motivated by the need for additional changes to the regulations. The rules mandate the use of lower-sulfur fuels in diesel engines beginning in 2006 for highway diesel, and 2007 for nonroad diesel fuel. Refiners and importers are required to produce highway diesel fuel meeting a 15-ppm maximum requirement starting in June 2006.