The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its third and final rule to carry out the electronic Hazardous Waste Manifest (e-Manifest) system, taking effect on January 22, 2025. The rule requires both large and small quantity generators (LQGs and SQGs) of hazardous waste to create online accounts in the RCRAInfo Portal (RCRAInfo.EPA.gov) to access completed manifests instead of relying on email or mailed copies of these documents.
This update aligns hazardous waste export and import requirements with international movement documents, impacts reporting for Manifest Discrepancy Reports, Exception Reports, and Unmanifested Waste Reports, and revises requirements for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to ensure consistency with RCRA regulations.
Additionally, exporters must now submit export manifests through the e-Manifest system and pay associated fees. Receiving facilities are no longer required to mail completed manifests, a significant administrative change aimed at streamlining processes.
EPA made this decision after considering feedback from the regulated community. By requiring online access via the RCRAInfo system, EPA chose to shift the responsibility of accessing manifests to generators.
What’s next: These changes will impact hazardous waste shipments starting December 1, 2025, for new export and reporting requirements.