Ohio
Hazardous Waste
Ohio hazardous waste program
Hazardous waste in Ohio is regulated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), whose Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization (DERR) oversees the permitting, inspection, compliance and reporting of hazardous waste sites. The program covers generators, transporters, and treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs).
In a Phase I ESA
Ohio EPA's hazardous waste records sit beside the federal records described on the RCRA Generators page and the RCRA TSD page. ASTM E1527-21 lists state hazardous waste facility records among its standard sources. This handbook does not pair a single Ohio list with that type; these are the Ohio records that bear on it. The distances the standard sets for each kind of record are on the search distances page.
Four Ohio details shape how to read them.
- The ID number is the federal one. Ohio EPA assigns U.S. EPA identification numbers, and uses U.S. EPA's RCRAInfo database to do it. A generator of hazardous waste or a handler of universal waste or used oil may need a number, and anyone who transports, treats, stores or disposes of hazardous waste must have one. There is no fee.
- A listed status can be out of date. Small quantity generators must re-notify every four years. Large quantity generators have had to re-notify every two years since October 5, 2020, which the Biennial Hazardous Waste Report satisfies. Ohio EPA asks a site that is no longer a large quantity generator to re-notify so that the record is correct. Check the date of the last notification before reading a status as current.
- Closing a large generator leaves notices. A large quantity generator must notify Ohio EPA no later than 30 days before closing its entire facility. Within 90 days after closing it must notify again, either that it met the closure performance standards or that it cannot meet them. Ask for both notices.
- Permits are for TSDFs. Unless a rule exempts or excludes it, any person that treats, stores or disposes of hazardous waste must first obtain a hazardous waste permit. The permit's terms and conditions are the basis for compliance evaluations and enforcement.
The generator categories turn on quantity:
| Category | Hazardous waste generated per month | Hazardous waste accumulated on site |
|---|---|---|
| Very small quantity generator (VSQG) | 100 kg or less | 1,000 kg or less |
| Small quantity generator (SQG) | More than 100 kg and less than 1,000 kg | More than 1,000 kg and less than 6,000 kg |
| Large quantity generator (LQG) | 1,000 kg or more | 6,000 kg or more |
For acute hazardous waste the line is 1 kg: a VSQG generates and holds 1 kg or less, and an LQG more than 1 kg.
Cleanup at these facilities is on the RCRA Corrective Action and Closure page. What happens to chemicals when a facility shuts down is on the Cessation of Regulated Operations page.
Where to look a site up
- Ohio EPA's Hazardous Waste Permits page lists permitted facilities by name, each followed by a number that the page does not label. Entries link the permit application, the terms and conditions of the effective permit, and the permit actions by date.
- Its page on TSDFs links a list of Ohio commercial facilities accepting hazardous waste, marked as updated in January 2020.
- Its Hazardous Waste page links Issued Actions, which it says range from administrative enforcement actions to final decisions on hazardous waste cleanup plans.
- The Compliance Assurance Section of the Hazardous Waste Program is at 614-644-2924.
Getting the file
Ohio EPA has no central repository: each division and district office stores its own files. Many records, including notices of violation from January 1, 2007, are in the agency's eDocument search. For others, use the online file review request form. Ohio EPA says the best first contact is the district office where the facility is located.
Sources
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency pages, read October 7, 2026, no modified date shown: