2025 Hazardous Waste Funding: Association of State And Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials Publish Fact Sheet

The Association of State And Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (“ASTSWMO”) has issued a June 2025 document titled:

ASTSWMO 2025 HAZARDOUS WASTE FUNDING FACT SHEET (“Fact Sheet”).

The Fact Sheet is stated to draw upon the organization’s research into the cost of state and territorial implementation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) Subtitle C hazardous waste program.

As the Fact Sheet notes, the federal hazardous waste program is delegated to authorized States and Territories (States) to implement, which includes:

• Issuing permits for hazardous waste management facilities, including permit modifications to address modernizing and/or expanding facilities.
• Conducting inspections of hazardous waste management facilities and facilities that generate hazardous wastes.
• Providing compliance assistance.
• Ensuring waste minimization and proper cleanup of hazardous waste releases and spills.

The State of Arkansas has operated the RCRA Subtitle C program for many years. It was authorized to implement such requirements in the 1980’s.

The Fact Sheet cites as benefits of the Subtitle C program:

• Ensures contaminated sites are cleaned up.
• Returns sites to productive use.
• Cleanups result in significant economic benefit to surrounding communities.

Further noted is the fact that as manufacturing in the United States is forecasted to increase, there will be a corresponding increase in the generation of hazardous waste. Logically, as the Fact Sheet notes, increased hazardous waste generation will require the need for:

• Safe waste management.
• Transportation.
• Disposal.
• Permitting of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (“TSDFs”) capable of managing those wastes.

State environmental agencies are noted to be responsible for the majority of such workload because 48 of the 50 States are authorized to implement this program. Federal funding is stated to be provided to authorized states through the State and Tribal Assistance Grant (“STAG”) program through Congressional appropriations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency  oversees such grant allocation with federal grant funding covering 75% of the states’ programs costs with the state providing a 25% match.

A survey conducted by ASTSWMO in 2022 determined that:

• The cost to administer the program nationwide was $194 million.
• Federal STAG allocation from Congress was $98 million. The required 25% State match provided another $33 million for a combined total of $131 million in STAG funding.
• State funding accounted for an additional $63 million over and above the required 25% match to fully implement the required federal program.

STAG funding is sated to have remained relatively stable since FY1995, when the STAG allocation was $97 million. As described in the Fact Sheet, such allocation has not kept up with inflation.

Concerns expressed by the Fact Sheet is the reality that:

• Congressional appropriations for STAG funding are key for states to effectively operate hazardous waste programs.
• States cannot continue to absorb increased costs associated with program operation without adequate federal funding.

Such funding is stated to be necessary to:

• Shorten permit issuance timeframes.
• Assist industry in regulatory compliance as manufacturing increases.
• Prevent costly Superfund cleanups.

ASTSWMO describes itself as an organization representing the 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. Its mission is to enhance and promote effective state and territorial programs and the affect relevant national policies for waste and materials management, environmental sustainable practices, and environmental restoration.

Research for the Facts Sheet was undertaken by ASTSWMO’s Hazardous Waste Subcommittee.

Brad Toler, Office of Land Resources Compliance Branch Manager of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality, is a member of the Committee.

A copy of the Facts Sheet can be downloaded here.