How do we manage cleanup materials contaminated with oil?
All used oil cleanup materials, from rags to sorbent booms, are subject to the U.S. EPA used oil management standards at 40 CFR 279, unless the used oil has been removed and no free-flowing oil remains. The EPA defines “used oil” as “any oil that has been refined from crude oil, or any synthetic oil, that has been used and as a result of such use is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities.” Methods for separating used oil from absorbent materials include mechanical pressure devices such as cloth wringers or squeezers, and gravity draining [57 FR 41581, September 10, 1992]. If the free-flowing oil is removed from the cleanup materials, the materials are no longer considered to be used oil and may be managed as solid waste (as long as they do not exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic, and state requirements allow it). However, all used oil collected and drained from these absorbents must be managed under the used oil management standards. Note that some states have adopted use
