§ 262.84 - Imports of hazardous waste.

§ 262.84 Imports of hazardous waste.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 60728, July 26, 2024.

(a) General import requirements.

(1) With the exception of paragraph (a)(5) of this section, importers of shipments covered under a consent from EPA to the country of export issued before December 31, 2016 are subject to that approval and the requirements that existed at the time of that approval until such time the approval period expires. Otherwise, any other person who imports hazardous waste from a foreign country into the United States must comply with the requirements of this part and the special requirements of this subpart.

(2) In cases where the country of export does not require the foreign exporter to submit a notification and obtain consent to the export prior to shipment, the importer must submit a notification to EPA in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) The importer must comply with the contract requirements in paragraph (f) of this section.

(4) The importer must ensure compliance with the movement documents requirements in paragraph (d) of this section; and

(5) The importer must ensure compliance with the manifest instructions for import shipments in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Notifications. In cases where the competent authority of the country of export does not regulate the waste as hazardous waste and, thus, does not require the foreign exporter to submit to it a notification proposing export and obtain consent from EPA and the competent authorities for the countries of transit, but EPA does regulate the waste as hazardous waste:

(1) The importer is required to provide notification in English to EPA of the proposed transboundary movement of hazardous waste at least sixty (60) days before the first shipment is expected to depart the country of export. Notifications submitted prior to the electronic import-export reporting compliance date must be mailed or hand delivered to EPA at the addresses specified in § 262.82(e). Notifications submitted on or after the electronic import-export reporting compliance date must be submitted electronically using EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system. The notification may cover up to one year of shipments of one or more hazardous wastes being sent from the same foreign exporter, and must include all of the following information:

(i) Foreign exporter name, address, telephone, fax numbers, and email address;

(ii) Receiving facility name, EPA ID number, address, telephone, fax numbers, email address, technologies employed, and the applicable recovery or disposal operations as defined in § 262.81;

(iii) Importer name (if not the owner or operator of the receiving facility), EPA ID number, address, telephone, fax numbers, and email address;

(iv) Intended transporter(s) and/or their agent(s); address, telephone, fax, and email address;

(v) “U.S.” as the country of import, “USA01” as the relevant competent authority code, and the intended U.S. port(s) of entry;

(vi) The ISO standard 3166 country name 2-digit code, OECD/Basel competent authority code, and the ports of entry and exit for each country of transit;

(vii) The ISO standard 3166 country name 2-digit code, OECD/Basel competent authority code, and port of exit for the country of export;

(viii) Statement of whether the notification covers a single shipment or multiple shipments;

(ix) Start and End Dates requested for transboundary movements;

(x) Means of transport planned to be used;

(xi) Description(s) of each hazardous waste, including whether each hazardous waste is regulated universal waste under 40 CFR part 273, or the state equivalent, spent lead-acid batteries being exported for recovery of lead under 40 CFR part 266, subpart G, or the state equivalent, or industrial ethyl alcohol being exported for reclamation under 40 CFR 261.6(a)(3)(i), or the state equivalent, estimated total quantity of each hazardous waste, the applicable RCRA hazardous waste code(s) for each hazardous waste, the applicable OECD waste code from the lists incorporated by reference in 40 CFR 260.11, and the United Nations/U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ID number for each hazardous waste;

(xii) Specification of the recovery or disposal operation(s) as defined in § 262.81; and

(xiii) Certification/Declaration signed by the importer that states:

I certify that the above information is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I also certify that legally enforceable written contractual obligations have been entered into and that any applicable insurance or other financial guarantee is or shall be in force covering the transboundary movement.

Name:

Signature:

Date:

Note to paragraph (b)(1)(xiii):

The United States does not currently require financial assurance for these waste shipments.

(2) Notifications listing interim recycling operations or interim disposal operations. If the receiving facility listed in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section will engage in any of the interim recovery operations R12, R13, or RC3 or interim disposal operations D13 through D15, the notification submitted according to paragraph (b)(1) of this section must also include the final recovery or disposal facility name, address, telephone, fax numbers, email address, technologies employed, and which of the applicable recovery or disposal operations R1 through R11, RC1, and D1 through D12, will be employed at the final recovery or disposal facility. The recovery and disposal operations in this paragraph are defined in § 262.81.

(3) Renotifications. When the foreign exporter wishes to change any of the conditions specified on the original notification (including increasing the estimate of the total quantity of hazardous waste specified in the original notification or adding transporters), the importer must submit a renotification of the changes to EPA using the allowable methods in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Any shipment using the requested changes cannot take place until EPA and the countries of transit consent to the changes and the importer receives an EPA AOC letter documenting the consents to the changes.

(4) A notification is complete when EPA determines the notification satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (xiii) of this section.

(5) Where EPA and the countries of transit consent to the proposed transboundary movement(s) of the hazardous waste(s), EPA will forward an EPA AOC letter to the importer documenting the countries' consents and EPA's consent. Where any of the countries of transit or EPA objects to the proposed transboundary movement(s) of the hazardous waste or withdraws a prior consent, EPA will notify the importer.

(6) Export of hazardous wastes originally imported into the United States. Export of hazardous wastes that were originally imported into the United States for recycling or disposal operations is prohibited unless an exporter in the United States complies with the export requirements in § 262.83(b)(7).

(c) RCRA Manifest instructions for import shipments.

(1) When importing hazardous waste, the importer must meet all the requirements of § 262.20 for the manifest except that:

(i) In place of the generator's name, address and EPA identification number, the name and address of the foreign generator and the importer's name, address and EPA identification number must be used.

(ii) In place of the generator's signature on the certification statement, the importer or his agent must sign and date the certification and obtain the signature of the initial transporter.

(2) The importer may obtain the manifest form from any source that is registered with the EPA as a supplier of manifests (e.g., states, waste handlers, and/or commercial forms printers).

(3) In the International Shipments block, the importer must check the import box and enter the point of entry (city and State) into the United States.

(4) The importer must provide the transporter with an additional copy of the manifest to be submitted by the receiving facility to U.S. EPA in accordance with 40 CFR 264.71(a)(3) and 265.71(a)(3).

(5) In lieu of the requirements of § 262.20(d), where a shipment cannot be delivered for any reason to the receiving facility, the importer must instruct the transporter in writing via fax, email or mail to:

(i) Return the hazardous waste to the foreign exporter or designate another facility within the United States; and

(ii) Revise the manifest in accordance with the importer's instructions.

(d) Movement document requirements for import shipments.

(1) The importer must ensure that a movement document meeting the conditions of paragraph (d)(2) of this section accompanies each transboundary movement of hazardous wastes from the initiation of the shipment in the country of export until it reaches the receiving facility, including cases in which the hazardous waste is stored and/or sorted by the importer prior to shipment to the receiving facility, except as provided in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(i) For shipments of hazardous waste within the United States by water (bulk shipments only), the importer must forward the movement document to the last water (bulk shipment) transporter to handle the hazardous waste in the United States if imported by water.

(ii) For rail shipments of hazardous waste within the United States which start from the company originating the export shipment, the importer must forward the movement document to the next non-rail transporter, if any, or the last rail transporter to handle the hazardous waste in the United States if imported by rail.

(2) The movement document must include the following paragraphs (d)(2)(i) through (xv) of this section:

(i) The corresponding AOC number(s) and waste number(s) for the listed waste;

(ii) The shipment number and the total number of shipments under the AOC number;

(iii) Foreign exporter name, address, telephone, fax numbers, and email address;

(iv) Receiving facility name, EPA ID number, address, telephone, fax numbers, email address, technologies employed, and the applicable recovery or disposal operations as defined in § 262.81;

(v) Importer name (if not the owner or operator of the receiving facility), EPA ID number, address, telephone, fax numbers, and email address;

(vi) Description(s) of each hazardous waste, quantity of each hazardous waste in the shipment, applicable RCRA hazardous waste code(s) for each hazardous waste, the applicable OECD waste code for each hazardous waste from the lists incorporated by reference in 40 CFR 260.11, and the United Nations/U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ID number for each hazardous waste;

(vii) Date movement commenced;

(viii) Name (if not the foreign exporter), address, telephone, fax numbers, and email of the foreign company originating the shipment;

(ix) Company name, EPA ID number, address, telephone, fax, and email address of all transporters;

(x) Identification (license, registered name or registration number) of means of transport, including types of packaging;

(xi) Any special precautions to be taken by transporter(s);

(xii) Certification/declaration signed and dated by the foreign exporter that the information in the movement document is complete and correct;

(xiii) Appropriate signatures for each custody transfer (e.g., transporter, importer, and owner or operator of the receiving facility);

(xiv) Each person that has physical custody of the waste from the time the movement commences until it arrives at the receiving facility must sign the movement document (e.g., transporter, importer, and owner or operator of the receiving facility); and

(xv) The receiving facility must send a copy of the signed movement document to confirm receipt within three working days of shipment delivery to the foreign exporter, to the competent authorities of the countries of export and transit, and for shipments received on or after the electronic import-export reporting compliance date, to EPA electronically using EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system.

(e) Duty to return or export hazardous wastes. When a transboundary movement of hazardous wastes cannot be completed in accordance with the terms of the contract or the consent(s), the provisions of paragraph (f)(4) of this section apply. If alternative arrangements cannot be made to recover the hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner in the United States, the hazardous waste must be returned to the country of export or exported to a third country. The provisions of paragraph (b)(6) of this section apply to any hazardous waste shipments to be exported to a third country. If the return shipment will cross any transit country, the return shipment may only occur after EPA provides notification to and obtains consent from the competent authority of the country of transit, and provides a copy of that consent to the importer.

(f) Import contract requirements.

(1) Imports of hazardous waste must occur under the terms of a valid written contract, chain of contracts, or equivalent arrangements (when the movement occurs between parties controlled by the same corporate or legal entity). Such contracts or equivalent arrangements must be executed by the foreign exporter, importer, and the owner or operator of the receiving facility, and must specify responsibilities for each. Contracts or equivalent arrangements are valid for the purposes of this section only if persons assuming obligations under the contracts or equivalent arrangements have appropriate legal status to conduct the operations specified in the contract or equivalent arrangements.

(2) Contracts or equivalent arrangements must specify the name and EPA ID number, where available, of paragraph (f)(2)(i) through (iv) of this section:

(i) The foreign company from where each import shipment of hazardous waste is initiated;

(ii) Each person who will have physical custody of the hazardous wastes;

(iii) Each person who will have legal control of the hazardous wastes; and

(iv) The receiving facility.

(3) Contracts or equivalent arrangements must specify the use of a movement document in accordance with § 262.84(d).

(4) Contracts or equivalent arrangements must specify which party to the contract will assume responsibility for alternate management of the hazardous wastes if their disposition cannot be carried out as described in the notification of intent to export submitted by either the foreign exporter or the importer. In such cases, contracts must specify that:

(i) The transporter or receiving facility having actual possession or physical control over the hazardous wastes will immediately inform the foreign exporter and importer, and the competent authority where the shipment is located of the need to arrange alternate management or return; and

(ii) The person specified in the contract will assume responsibility for the adequate management of the hazardous wastes in compliance with applicable laws and regulations including, if necessary, arranging the return of the hazardous wastes and, as the case may be, shall provide the notification for re-export required in § 262.83(b)(7).

(5) Contracts must specify that the importer or the receiving facility that performed interim recycling operations R12, R13, or RC3, or interim disposal operations D13 through D15, as appropriate, will provide the notification required in § 262.83(b)(7) prior to the re-export of hazardous wastes. The recovery and disposal operations in this paragraph are defined in § 262.81.

(6) Contracts or equivalent arrangements must include provisions for financial guarantees, if required by the competent authorities of any countries concerned, in accordance with applicable national or international law requirements.

Note to paragraph (f)(6):

Financial guarantees so required are intended to provide for alternate recycling, disposal or other means of sound management of the wastes in cases where arrangements for the shipment and the recovery operations cannot be carried out as foreseen. The United States does not require such financial guarantees at this time; however, some OECD Member countries or other foreign countries do. It is the responsibility of the importer to ascertain and comply with such requirements; in some cases, persons or facilities located in those countries may refuse to enter into the necessary contracts absent specific references or certifications to financial guarantees.

(7) Contracts or equivalent arrangements must contain provisions requiring each contracting party to comply with all applicable requirements of this subpart.

(8) Upon request by EPA, importers or disposal or recovery facilities must submit to EPA copies of contracts, chain of contracts, or equivalent arrangements (when the movement occurs between parties controlled by the same corporate or legal entity).

(g) Confirmation of recovery or disposal. The receiving facility must do the following:

(1) Send copies of the signed and dated confirmation of recovery or disposal, as soon as possible, but no later than thirty days after completing recovery or disposal on the waste in the shipment and no later than one calendar year following receipt of the waste, to the foreign exporter, to the competent authority of the country of export, and for shipments recycled or disposed of on or after the electronic import-export reporting compliance date, to EPA electronically using EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system.

(2) If the receiving facility performed any of recovery operations R12, R13, or RC3, or disposal operations D13 through D15, the receiving facility shall promptly send copies of the confirmation of recovery or disposal that it receives from the final recovery or disposal facility within one year of shipment delivery to the final recovery or disposal facility that performed one of recovery operations R1 through R11, or RC1 to RC2, or one of disposal operations D1 through D12, or DC1 to DC2, to the competent authority of the country of export, and for confirmations received on or after the electronic import-export reporting compliance date, to EPA electronically using EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system. The recovery and disposal operations in this paragraph are defined in § 262.81.

(h) Recordkeeping.

(1) The importer shall keep the following records and provide them to EPA or authorized state personnel upon request:

(i) A copy of each notification that the importer sends to EPA under paragraph (b)(1) of this section and each EPA AOC it receives in response for a period of at least three (3) years from the date the hazardous waste was accepted by the initial foreign transporter; and

(ii) A copy of each contract or equivalent arrangement established per paragraph (f) of this section for at least three (3) years from the expiration date of the contract or equivalent arrangement.

(2) The receiving facility shall keep the following records:

(i) A copy of each confirmation of receipt (i.e., movement document) that the receiving facility sends to the foreign exporter for at least three (3) years from the date it received the hazardous waste;

(ii) A copy of each confirmation of recovery or disposal that the receiving facility sends to the foreign exporter for at least three (3) years from the date that it completed processing the waste shipment;

(iii) For the receiving facility that performed any of recovery operations R12, R13, or RC3, or disposal operations D13 through D15 (recovery and disposal operations defined in § 262.81), a copy of each confirmation of recovery or disposal that the final recovery or disposal facility sent to it for at least three (3) years from the date that the final recovery or disposal facility completed processing the waste shipment; and

(iv) A copy of each contract or equivalent arrangement established per paragraph (f) of this section for at least three (3) years from the expiration date of the contract or equivalent arrangement.

(3) Importers and receiving facilities may satisfy these recordkeeping requirements by retaining electronically submitted documents in the importer's or receiving facility's account on EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system, provided that copies are readily available for viewing and production if requested by any EPA or authorized state inspector. No importer or receiving facility may be held liable for the inability to produce such documents for inspection under this section if the importer or receiving facility can demonstrate that the inability to produce the document is due exclusively to technical difficulty with EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system for which the importer or receiving facility bears no responsibility.

(4) The periods of retention referred to in this section are extended automatically during the course of any unresolved enforcement action regarding the regulated activity or as requested by the Administrator.

[45 FR 33142, May 19, 1980, as amended at 83 FR 60901, Dec. 26, 2017; 86 FR 54385, Oct. 1, 2021]