Which act is administered by the EPA to manage all hazardous waste?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the legislation administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that specifically manages hazardous waste. Enacted in 1976, RCRA regulates the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste to ensure safe management practices and to protect human health and the environment. The act establishes a framework for controlling hazardous waste from its creation to its final disposal, promoting recycling and waste minimization as integral parts of waste management.

Understanding the role of RCRA within the context of environmental protection helps clarify its importance. Unlike the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which focuses on workplace safety, or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, which regulates pesticides, RCRA is narrowly focused on the lifecycle of hazardous waste. The Transportation Safety Act is also unrelated, as it pertains more to the safe transport of goods rather than the management of hazardous waste. Thus, RCRA is the precise act that addresses the complexities associated with hazardous waste management in the United States.