Generator status

A facility's RCRA category (VSQG, SQG or LQG) is determined by how much hazardous waste it generates monthly.

RCRA sorts generators into three categories. A Very Small Quantity Generator produces no more than 100 kg of hazardous waste per month; a Small Quantity Generator between 100 and 1,000 kg; a Large Quantity Generator more than 1,000 kg, or more than 1 kg of acute hazardous waste.

Status determines accumulation time limits, storage requirements, personnel training, contingency planning and reporting obligations, so moving between categories changes a facility's obligations materially.

Status is assessed monthly, so a facility can shift categories during a year, and episodic generation has its own provisions.

Related terms

• RCRAThe federal law governing hazardous waste from generation through transport, treatment and disposal.
• Hazardous waste manifestThe tracking document accompanying hazardous waste from the generator to its final treatment or disposal facility.

A plain-English explanation, not legal advice. Figures are the federal baseline; your state may differ, so see the state-by-state requirements.