Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest

Congress passed the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act — the
e-Manifest Act — at the end of September, and the President signed it into law
on October 5. The Act establishes a framework for collecting hazardous waste
shipment data electronically, replacing the paper manifest system that currently
requires that paper forms be completed, carried, and signed manually.

The EPA must establish the electronic tracking system within three years. The
Agency may impose fees on users to pay for developing, maintaining, and
upgrading the e-manifest system, including any costs that come from collecting
and processing data from paper manifests submitted. The fees will be deposited
in a new Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund.

Hazardous waste manifests are required by both EPA and the Department of
Transportation. Manifests track hazardous waste from the time it leaves the
facility where it was generated until it reaches the off-site waste management
facility that will store, treat, or dispose of it. The system is designed to
verify that hazardous waste has been properly delivered and that no waste has
been lost or unaccounted for in the process. Currently, the paper manifest
contains multiple copies of a single form that contains:

Information on the type and quantity of the waste being transported;
Instructions on handling the waste; and
Signature lines for all parties involved in the disposal process.
EPA estimates the new national e-manifesting system could result in annual
savings to hazardous waste handlers and states of $77 million to $209 million.