Re: mixed waste stuff

[jdelahunt@cc.colorado.edu (John DeLaHunt)]

> I'm not a chemist

Which I'm sure the chemists will forgive.  ;-)

>, but have been told that at least thorium nitrate and 
>posssibly(?) uranyl nitrate might be strong oxidizers and therefore 
>qualify as hazardous waste because of that property.  

For a material to be "ignitable" under RCRA, the federal hazardous waste
statute (and associated regs), it must be classified by DOT as an oxidizer,
among some other options (flash point <140F, able to sustain a flame,
compressed flammable gas, e.g.).  DOT only regulates solid nitrates as
oxidizers, because they base the determination on ability to
create/sustain/otherwise assist burning.  Clearly, aqueous solutions will
not necessarily assist burning.

Therefore, waste, off-spec excess solids of these materials _may_ qualify as
D001 -- flammable, under 40 CFR 262.21(a)(4), provided, essentialy, if DOT
regulates them as oxidizers.

>Also uranium is 
>a chemically toxic agent at certain concentrations, which might also 
>qualify it as a hazardous waste.

It will not.  The RCRA definition of the toxic characteristic includes
_only_ the metals barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and
silver.  Uranium, thorium, plutonium (*gasp*), thallium, vanadium, polonium,
etc., while toxic, are not regulated as "toxic" wastes as such by EPA.

Local rules, of course, have precedence, so they may be regulated by a
particular state.

Hope this helps.

John (forgiving chemist)

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