Containment buildings

• Liquid or semi-liquid wastes are typically more difficult to handle and pose an increased risk of a release into the surrounding environment, so they are generally prohibited from management in containment buildings.

Large quantity generators (LQGs) and treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) may choose to manage hazardous waste in containment buildings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chose to allow containment buildings as hazardous waste management units to address the difficulties associated with management of bulky, large volume hazardous wastes.

A containment building is a completely enclosed structure (i.e., possessing four walls, a roof, and a floor) that houses an accumulation of non-containerized waste.

While containment buildings were primarily developed to serve as management units for hazardous debris and other bulky and high-volume hazardous wastes, EPA does not restrict their usage to these waste types. In fact, containment buildings may be employed for storage or treatment of any nonliquid hazardous waste. Liquid or semi-liquid wastes are typically more difficult to handle and pose an increased risk of a release into the surrounding environment. For this reason, such wastes are generally prohibited from management in containment buildings. Liquid wastes include wastes that flow under their own weight to fill the container in which they are placed, are readily pumpable, or release such large quantities of liquid into the unit that the liquid collection and removal system cannot prevent accumulation.

Wastes that contain free liquids but do not meet the given definition of liquid (i.e., wastes that do not flow, are not pumpable, and do not release a sufficiently large quantity of liquids) may be placed in a containment building, provided the unit conforms to several relevant design limits. As an alternative, liquid wastes may be placed in tanks that are located inside the containment building. In such cases, the building serves as secondary containment for the hazardous waste tank and must comply with all applicable secondary containment provisions in Subpart J of Part 264/265.