EPA proposed rule change could benefit boat builders

swadminJanuary 14, 2004

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a change to the federal hazardous waste management regulations that could make it easier for boat manufacturers to recycle hazardous materials, rather than having to dispose of them as hazardous waste, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) reported in a statement yesterday.

This action published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2003 (68 Fed. Reg. 61558) proposes to exclude from hazardous waste regulations materials recycled in a continuous process in the same industry. For boat builders the final rule could change the way they handle and treat spent acetone, according to NMMA. The rule proposes to allow spent materials to be recycled at a second facility, providing the second facility is in the same industry.

NMMA said it plans to support this proposal and has drafted written comments for the EPA. To submit your comments, contact NMMA director of Environmental and Safety Compliance John McKnight at (202) 737-9757, or e-mail jmcknight@nmma.org.