EPA reconsiders oil recycling regulatory changes

Gainesville, Virginia-based trade group NORA (formerly the National Oil Recyclers Association) has been informed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it is dropping its plan to request comment on adding language to Part 279 of the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), which likely was intended to suggest changes to current oil recycling regulations.

The notion of making changes to Part 279 was going to be part of the EPA’s upcoming “Permitting Updates Proposed Rulemaking” project, NORA says.

The EPA has not added language to Part 279 other than corrections in more than three decades, providing a consistent framework for collectors and recyclers of spent oils. The first portion of the Standards for the Management of Used Oil was published in November 1985 and the second portion was published in September 1992.

Citing assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, representatives from NORA met with representatives from the EPA in Washington Sept. 13 to discuss potential changes to Part 279, according to NORA. The trade groups sent Scott D. Parker, its executive director; Jack Waggener, a NORA senior consultant; and Ken Bentfeld of NORA member company Valicor, Monroe, Ohio.

In late November, NORA says an EPA representative communicated with Parker, writing, “We value the input you provided regarding used oil/wastewater management practices and potential impacts to those practices from changes to the used oil regulations, and have considered your input in relation to other information we have gathered about used oil and wastewaters. We wanted to loop back with you to let you know that, at this point, we no longer plan to discuss used oil in the upcoming Permitting Updates Proposed Rulemaking.”

Parker says, “Part 279 is the regulatory foundation for used oil recyclers and oily wastewater processors. It has effectively established the framework that members have utilized for decades. We appreciate EPA thoughtfully considering the information provided by NORA in coming to this decision.”

Going forward, Parker says NORA remains committed to defending the rights of members to responsibly collect and recycle billions of gallons of used oil, oily wastewater and related materials each year.

Other trade groups provided assistance in its effort to communicate with the EPA, including the Automotive Oil Change Association, the American Petroleum Institute; Energy Marketers of America; the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association; the National Association of Manufacturers; the National Automobile Dealers Association; Service Station Dealers of America; and the Tire Industry Association.

The association says a dozen of its member companies donated to a NORA Defense Fund to financially support its communication effort.