Environmental Business Assistance Portal
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Waste Programs
Facilities treating, storing or disposing of solid or hazardous wastes or recycling waste may require a permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) or EPA.
Appliance Demanufacturing Permit
Appliance Demanufacturers must apply for a permit from the IDNR and are required to report the amount of appliances demanufactured and the amount of refrigerant, mercury and PCB capacitors disposed of each year.
Comprehensive Planning
Iowa law requires cities and counties to develop a comprehensive solid waste reduction program in collaboration with the landfill(s) or other waste facility(s) that serves their area.
Electronic Waste - Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) Permit
Facilities collecting and recycling CRTs must obtain a permit from the IDNR.
Hazardous Waste Permitting – EPA
The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates facilities generating, transporting, treating, storing or disposing of hazardous waste. In Iowa, RCRA is administered by EPA Region 7. Generators and transporters require EPA identification numbers and must comply with regulations for handling of hazardous waste. Treatment, storage, and disposal facilities must meet even more stringent requirements and have a RCRA permit to operate. RCRA application should be submitted to EPA at least six months prior to construction.
Mercury Switch Removal from Vehicles Program
Mercury containing switches from trunk and hood lights must be removed prior to delivery of the vehicle to a scrap recycling facility unless the switch is inaccessible due to damage to the vehicle. Participation in the program is required for anyone that is in the business of acquiring, dismantling or destroying six or more vehicles in a calendar year for the primary purpose of resale of the vehicle's parts.
Special Waste Authorization (SWA)
Businesses generating waste that may be considered a “special waste” under the IDNR’s landfilling criteria should first check with the landfill to see if the waste can be accepted. A SWA is required for the disposal of wastes which present a threat to human health or the environment or a waste with inherent properties which make the disposal of the waste in a sanitary landfill difficult to manage.
Solid Waste Permitting
Solid waste permits are issued by IDNR for: municipal and industrial waste landfills, transfer stations and citizen convenience centers, compost facilities and some recycling centers, land application, land farming and beneficial use, appliance demanufacturing and cathode ray tube (CRT) device collection and recycling.
Waste Tire Permitting
Facilities storing, processing and recycling waste tires are required to have a permit and must store tires in a manner to the reduce risk of fire or environmental impact.