Georgia compliance
Georgia hazardous waste regulations
How Georgia EPD runs the hazardous waste program, and where Georgia goes beyond the federal baseline.
Georgia is authorized by EPA to administer the RCRA hazardous waste program, so Georgia EPD enforces state rules at Georgia Rules 391-3-11 in place of the federal regulations. The state program is at least as stringent as federal RCRA and in several areas goes further.
Source: Georgia Rules 391-3-11Where Georgia goes beyond federal RCRA
An authorized state may be more stringent than the federal baseline, and Georgia is:
- Georgia levies an annual hazardous waste fee on generators based on quantity generated
- The state maintains its own Hazardous Site Inventory, separate from the federal system
- Georgia EPD requires notification for certain waste management activities beyond the federal baseline
Federal RCRA is the floor, not the ceiling. Compliance with 40 CFR alone does not establish compliance in an authorized state.
The industry mix that drives Georgia waste streams
Automotive assembly, carpet and textile manufacturing, Port of Savannah logistics, poultry and food processing, pulp and paper. That mix determines which waste codes turn up most often and which treatment capacity matters.
Knowing the local stream profile is practical rather than academic. It is why a quote for a Georgia site is built from the process rather than from a rate card, and why the treatment path is named before anything is scheduled.
Waste streams we see most in Georgia
- Carpet and textile dye and finishing chemicals
- Automotive paint and adhesive waste
- Port and terminal fuel and chemical residues
- Poultry processing sanitizers and caustics
- Pulp bleaching residues
Common questions
Does federal RCRA or Georgia law apply to my site?
Both, but in practice you comply with the Georgia rules. Because EPA has authorized the state program, Georgia EPD enforces Georgia Rules 391-3-11. Those rules incorporate the federal requirements and add state specific provisions.
Who inspects hazardous waste generators in Georgia?
Georgia Environmental Protection Division, through the Land Protection Branch, Hazardous Waste Management Program. EPA retains oversight and can inspect directly, but routine generator inspections are a state function.
Are there state only waste codes in Georgia?
Authorized states can regulate wastes the federal program does not. Check the state rule for any state only classifications before assuming a stream is unregulated, particularly for used oil, universal waste and industrial non hazardous waste.
Related services
Generating hazardous waste in Georgia?
Send a profile, an old manifest, or photographs of the drums. A technical professional will tell you what applies and what it costs.
This page summarizes state and federal requirements and is not legal advice. State rules change. Verify against the current version of the state code and with the state agency before acting. Last reviewed September 2026.