D R A F T E PA P U B L I C AT I O N 4 4 8

C L A S S I F I C AT I O N O F W A S T E S

Publication 448.2 *

February 2007

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Invitation to comment

EPA seeks comment on the Draft Classification of

The Environment Protection Authority is responsible
Wastes. Written submissions will be received at the
for ensuring the proper storage, transport, treatment
following address until Monday, 5 March 2007.
and disposal of waste in Victoria. This bulletin
provides the management requirements for different Prescribed Industrial Waste Team
wastes taken off-site for reuse, treatment or Waste Management Unit
disposal. Guidance is provided to attribute a hazard EPA Victoria
category (either Category A, B or C) to contaminated GPO Box 4395 QQ Melbourne VIC 3001
soil. Allowable contaminant levels for fill material
Or email: prescribedwaste@epa.vic.gov.au
are also provided. Classification by hazard before
disposal will take effect from 1 July 2007.
EPA will release the final classification together with
With all wastes, it is desirable that the waste
a response to comments bulletin. Company names
hierarchy set out in the Environment Protection Act
on submissions will be included in the bulletin.
1970 is followed. This waste hierarchy is:

• avoidance
2. WASTE TYPES
• reuse
• recycling Wastes can be classified as one of five types (Table
• recovery of energy 1) to determine EPA requirements and to choose an
• treatment appropriate management option. If doubt exists as
• containment to which waste type applies then advice should be
• disposal. sought from EPA.

This bulletin does not address trade waste, which is

2.1 Fill material
disposed of to sewer.
This classification consists of soil (being clay, silt
and sand), gravel and rock of naturally occurring

*
EPA publication 448.1 (issued May 2004) will be replaced by the final version of this document on 1 July 2007, issued as EPA publication
448.3 and titled EPA Publication 448 Classification of Wastes. This document is not related to the Australian Standard 4482 published by
Standards Australia.

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Table 1: Summary of waste types

MANAGEMENT EPA REQUIREMENTS FOR

CATEGORY DESCRIPTION
OPTIONS OFFSITE DISPOSAL
Fill Material Soil with contamination Fill material needs, No licence required, however
concentrations not exceeding e.g., site filling/ reuse must not give rise to any
those specified in Table 2. levelling. offsite impact.
Solid Inert Building/demolition material, - Reuse - Non-municipal landfills must
e.g. concrete, bricks, dry timber, - Recycling be licensed
plastic, glass, metals, bitumen; - Landfill - When disposing to municipal
and shredded tyres. landfill serving >5000
persons site must be
licensed 1
Putrescible Food or garden wastes from - Composting - Non-municipal landfills must
commercial or industrial - Stockfood 2 be licensed
sources, e.g. vegetable - Recovery of energy - When disposing to municipal
processing, butchers; and - Landfill landfill serving >5000
domestic garbage. persons site must be
licensed1
Prescribed Listed in the Prescribed Waste Various treatment and - No disposal of Category A
waste Regulations and Table 5. disposal methods - Disposal of hazard category B
depending on waste or C waste to a licensed site1
type and hazard - EPA Transport certificate
category. system must be used.
- Vehicles must hold EPA permit
(unless exemption issued).
Prescribed waste (Contaminated soil)
Category A Contaminated soil with any - On-site remediation No disposal.
(Contaminated contaminant concentration or - Off-site remediation - EPA Transport certificate
soil)4 leachable concentration greater - Storage pending system must be used.
than those specified in Table 4 availability of - Vehicles must hold EPA permit
or soil that displays any hazard treatment (unless exemption issued).
characteristic listed in Table 6.
Category B Contaminated soil with any - On-site remediation Disposal to licensed site1
(Contaminated contaminant concentration or - Off-site remediation - EPA Transport certificate
soil) 3 leachable concentration greater - Licensed facility system must be used.
than those specified in Table 3, - Vehicles must hold EPA permit
but less than those specified in (unless exemption issued).
Table 4.
Category C Contaminated soil with any - On-site remediation Disposal to licensed site1
(Contaminated contaminant concentration or - Off-site remediation - EPA Transport certificate
soil) 4 leachable concentration greater - Landfill system must be used.
than those specified in Table 2, - Vehicles must hold EPA permit
but less than those specified in (unless exemption issued).
Table 3.

1
Sites must be licensed to receive the specific waste type.
2
The Victorian Department of Primary Industries can provide advice on the suitability of commercial waste as stockfeed.
3
From 1 July 2007, ‘Contaminated soil’ defined in EPA Publication 448.1 will be reclassified as Category B (Contaminated soil) and Category A
(Contaminated soil).
4
From 1 July 2007, "Contaminated soil (low-level)" defined in EPA Publication 448.1 will be reclassified as Category C (Contaminated soil).

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materials. Contaminant levels for soil must be below reused or recycled. Proponents should seek advice
those specified in Table 2, otherwise the material from EPA if in doubt about the appropriateness of
must be classified as a prescribed waste the reuse and recycling options.
(Contaminated soil).
2.3 Putrescible waste
Soil may contain naturally elevated levels of metals,
such as arsenic, or other constituents. Where it can Putrescible waste is defined in the Industrial Waste
be demonstrated that the constituents of concern Management Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste) as
are naturally elevated, EPA does not consider these ‘waste able to be decomposed by bacterial action’.
soils to be ‘contaminated’ and they therefore do not Because of this property, putrescible waste can
require management in accordance with the usually be composted or recycled for stockfeed,
Environment Protection (Prescribed Waste) which includes food wastes from residential,
Regulations 1998. However, the deposit of fill industrial or commercial sources such as
material with naturally elevated constituents must restaurants, food markets, supermarkets, and
still be managed to ensure that it will not adversely butchers.
affect human health and the environment.
Problems associated with putrescible waste landfills
EPA has no restrictions on where fill material may be or reprocessing facilities (e.g. composting facilities)
disposed of, although local councils may have often include vermin, seagulls, dust, odour, flies
requirements. Fill material, often referred to as and other insects, fires, litter, surface and
‘clean fill’ by industry, is generally suitable for use groundwater contamination by leachate.
within an urban environment but care needs to be Accordingly, the design and operating requirements
taken in an agricultural environment. Contaminant for facilities accepting putrescible waste are
levels should be assessed as relevant to the generally more stringent than for a sites accepting
intended use and any use must not result in off-site solid inert waste only.
impact on surface or groundwaters.
2.4 Prescribed waste
2.2 Solid inert waste
Prescribed wastes have the potential to adversely
Solid inert waste is defined in the Industrial Waste impact on human health and the environment, or
Management Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste) as impact on public amenity (for example odorous waste).
‘hard waste which has negligible activity or effect on
Prescribed wastes are listed in the Environment
the environment’. Landfills licensed by EPA to accept
Protection (Prescribed Waste) Regulations 1998 (see
solid inert waste usually have less stringent operating
Table 5 for listing). The only prescribed waste of
and monitoring requirements than other landfills.
domestic origin is grease trap waste. All others are
Reuse and recycle options should be closely of industrial origin.
examined for this type of waste, as in many cases
All prescribed industrial waste must be transported
solid inert waste, such as building materials, can be
in accordance with the Environment Protection

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(Prescribed Waste) Regulations 1998, and must be (iii) that displays any hazard characteristic
classified by hazard before disposal in accordance listed in Table 6.
with the Industrial Waste Management Policy
Category B (Contaminated soil) is contaminated soil
(Prescribed Industrial Waste). The Guidelines for
with:
Hazard Classification of Solid Prescribed Industrial
(i) any contaminant concentration greater than
Wastes (EPA Publication 996) provides guidance to
those specified in Table 3, but not
waste generators and treaters in classifying the
exceeding those specified in Table 4
hazard category (A, B or C) of their solid prescribed
industrial wastes from manufacturing sources. or
Guidance on the classification of contaminated soil
(ii) any leachable concentration greater than
is provided below.
those specified in Table 3, but not
exceeding those specified in Table 4.
2.5 Prescribed waste (contaminated soil)
Category C (Contaminated soil) is contaminated soil
Prescribed waste must be classified in terms of the
with:
hazard classification to determine the controls
(i) any contaminant concentrations greater
necessary to ensure safe management in
than those specified in Table 2, but not
accordance with the Industrial Waste Management
exceeding those specified in Table 3
Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste). If the
generation of contaminated soil cannot be avoided, and
then generators must seek to reuse, recycle or
(ii) any leachable concentrations greater than
recover energy if these options are practicable.
those specified in Table 2, but not
exceeding those specified in Table 3.
Hazard categories
In determining a hazard category, contaminated soil
Category A (Contaminated soil) is contaminated soil
must first be considered and excluded from
with:
Category A, then considered and excluded from
(i) any contaminant concentration greater than Category B, before it can be considered as Category
the contaminant concentrations specified in C. Figure 1 shows a decision flowchart for classifying
Table 4 waste soils.

or If doubt exists as to which category applies to a soil

then advice should be sought from EPA.
(ii) any leachable concentration greater than
the leachable concentrations specified in If the waste contains a contaminant that is
Table 4 potentially hazardous and not listed in Tables 3 or 4,
the waste generator must apply to EPA for a
or
determination of hazard category.

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Table 2 Table 3
Maximum contaminant concentrations Maximum contaminant concentrations and leachable
allowed in soil to be disposed of as fill concentrations allowed in soil to be disposed of as
material. Category C (Contaminated soil).
Contaminant Concentration Contaminant Concentration Leachable
(total) mg/kg (total) mg/kg concentration
dry weight dry weight ASLP 5
mg/L
Arsenic 20 Arsenic 500 0.7
Cadmium 3 Cadmium 100 0.2
Chromium (VI) 1 Chromium (VI) 500 5.0
Copper 100 Copper 5000 200
Lead 300 Lead 1500 1.0
Mercury 1 Mercury 75 0.1
Molybdenum 40 Molybdenum 1000 5.0
Nickel 60 Nickel 3000 2.0
Tin 50 Tin 500 -
Selenium 10 Selenium 50 1.0
Silver 10 Silver 180 10
Zinc 200 Zinc 35 000 300

Cyanide 50 Cyanide 2500 8.0

Fluoride 450 Fluoride 10 000 150
Phenols 1 Phenols 10 -

Monocyclic Aromatic Monocyclic Aromatic

Hydrocarbons 7 Hydrocarbons 70 -
Benzene 1 Benzene 4 0.1

Polycyclic Aromatic Polycyclic Aromatic

Hydrocarbons 20 Hydrocarbons 100 -
Benzo(a)pyrene 1 Benzo(a)pyrene 5 0.001

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons Total Petroleum

(C6 to C9) 100 Hydrocarbons (C6 to C9) 650 -

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons Total Petroleum

(>C9) 1000 Hydrocarbons (>C9) 10 000 -

Organochlorine pesticides
(total sum) 1 Organochlorine pesticides
Aldrin + Dieldrin 1.2 0.03
DDT + DDD + DDE 50 2.0
Chlordane 4 0.1
Heptachlor 1.2 0.03

Total sum of other

organochlorine pesticides 10 -

5
Australian Leaching Standard Procedure (acetate buffer pH 5) as specified in Australian Standards 4439.2 and 4439.3.

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Table 4: Maximum contaminant concentrations and leachable concentrations

allowed in soil to be disposed of as Category B (Contaminated soil).

Contaminant Concentration(total) Leachable concentration

mg/kg dry weight ASLP 6 mg/L
Arsenic 2000 2.8
Cadmium 400 0.8
Chromium (VI) 2000 20
Copper 20 000 800
Lead 6000 4.0
Mercury 300 0.4
Molybdenum 4000 20
Nickel 12 000 8.0
Selenium 200 4.0
Silver 720 40
Zinc 140 000 1200

Cyanide 10 000 32
Fluoride 40 000 600
Phenols 2200 -

Monocyclic Aromatic 240 -

Hydrocarbons
Benzene 16 0.4

Polycyclic Aromatic 400 -

Hydrocarbons
Benzo(a)pyrene 20 0.004

Total Petroleum 2600 -

Hydrocarbons (C6 to C9)

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons 40 000 -

(>C9)

Pesticides
Aldrin + Dieldrin 4.8 0.12
DDT + DDD + DDE 50 -
Chlordane 16 0.4
Heptachlor 4.8 0.12

6
Australian Leaching Standard Procedure (acetate buffer pH 5) as specified in Australian Standards 4439.2 and 4439.3.

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Figure 1. Decision flowchart for waste soil

Is the waste soil a No

prescribed industrial waste? Fill Material
I.e. are the contaminant
levels > Table 2 ?

Yes
Are the contaminants
naturally elevated?

No

Are there any avoidance,

reuse, recycling or recovery of energy Yes
Implement avoidance, reuse,
opportunies currently available or recycling, recovery of energy
available in the or repository storage
foreseable future? opportunites as appropriate

No

Does the soil display any Yes

of the hazard characterisitcs
listed in Table 6?

No

Are there any Yes Apply to EPA for a

contaminants not listed in determination
Tables 3 or 4 that are potentially of hazard categroy
hazardous?
Treat waste to remove
or destroy the specific
hazard characteristic
or contaminant
No Or

No Storage pending
Category A availability
Are contaminant concentration (Contaminated soil) of treatment
levels < Table 4?

Yes Or
Immobilise*

No
Are ASLP levels < Table 4?

Consign to appropriately
licensed facility
Yes

Or
No Category B
Are contaminant concentration
(Contaminated soil) Treat waste to
levels < Table 3?
remove or destroy
the contaminant
Or

Yes

Immobilise*
No
Are ASLP levels < Table 3?

Yes

Consign to appropriately
Category C licensed best practice
(Contaminated soil) municipal landfill

*Immobilisation is a process whereby the solubility, leachability, availability or reactivity of a waste and its components is
reduced by chemical reaction and/or physical encapsulation in a solid matrix, and must be managed in accordance with EPA
Publication 996 Guidelines for Hazard Classification of Solid Prescribed Industrial Waste.

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Management requirements Waste generators must classify contaminated soil by

hazard category in order to determine which facility
Category C (Contaminated soil) and Category B
is licensed to accept the waste. If the waste does
(Contaminated soil) can be accepted at a landfill or
not meet the acceptance criteria, further treatment
facility licensed by EPA to accept such waste.
or stabilisation will be required.
Category A (Contaminated soil) will require
Soil sampling and analysis should be performed in
treatment to reduce or control the hazard before
accordance with EPA publication 441, A guide to the
meeting acceptance criteria for disposal at an
sampling and analysis of waters, wastewaters, soils
appropriate EPA licensed facility.
and wastes. The leaching test to be used is the
Generators of contaminated soils may wish to seek
Australian Standard Leaching Procedure as
alternative classification for EPA approval, where it
specified in Australian Standards 4439.2 and
can be demonstrated that a different level of
4439.3.
management from that outlined above is
appropriate for a particular contaminant or group of
Classification by Management – contaminated soils
contaminants in soil. For example, a contaminant
mandated for reuse and recycling
that is naturally immobilised may display a low
EPA has classified certain types of soil contaminated
hazard because of the very low leachable
with organic compounds as wastes for which
concentration, despite a relatively high total
opportunities for reuse, recycling, recovery of energy
concentration. Applications will need to provide
and treatment will be available in the foreseeable
justification why the proposed alternative
future. Requirements for the management of these
classification is consistent with the Industrial Waste
soils are detailed in EPA Publication 878
Management Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste),
Classification for Contaminated Soil.
and achieves the best environmental outcome.

Under the Environment Protection (Prescribed

2.6 Other wastes
Waste) Regulations 1998, contaminated soils are
There are certain waste types which warrant mention
prescribed industrial wastes, and must be managed
here.
in accordance with all the requirements of these
regulations. When transporting contaminated soils, Industrial waste is defined under the Environment
transport certificates (or an appropriate exemption Protection Act 1970 as:
issued in accordance with the Regulations) must be
a. any waste arising from commercial, industrial, or
used. Vehicles transporting contaminated soils must
trade activities or from laboratories; or
also have a current EPA waste transport permit (or
b. any waste containing substances or materials
an appropriate exemption issued in accordance with
which are potentially harmful to human beings or
the Regulations). All loads should be covered to
equipment.
prevent leaks or spills of contaminated material to
the environment.

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Industrial waste includes waste arising from all Victoria receiving solid waste. The requirements for
commercial, industrial, building and demolition sites receiving industrial and municipal wastes are
activities, including: detailed in EPA Publication 788, Best Practice
Environmental Management (Sitting, design,
- manufacturing activities
operation and rehabilitation landfills).
- wholesale/retail trade
Waste asbestos: the transport and disposal of
- commercial services including services provided
asbestos wastes needs to be carried out under
to households (e.g. gardening services, skip/bin
strictly controlled conditions. EPA has produced a
hire etc.)
separate guideline entitled The transport and
- accommodation, cafes, restaurants disposal of waste asbestos (EPA publication 364)
regarding these wastes.
- building/demolition waste from building
construction, renovations or repairs and road Mining and extractive industry wastes include a
construction and maintenance range of wastes (overburden, rock, tailings) with
varying contamination levels. Sites used for the
- waste from primary industries including
deposit of waste not in accordance with Extractive
agricultural, forestry and fishing.
Industries Development Act or the Mineral
Municipal waste is defined under the Environment
Resources Development Act require a licence.
Protection Act 1970 as ‘any waste arising from
Scheduled wastes are wastes which are difficult to
municipal or residential activities, and includes
safely dispose of without special technologies and
waste collected by, or on behalf of, a municipal
facilities. Australian governments have agreed to
council, but does not include any industrial waste’.
implement a national approach for the management
Therefore municipal waste is associated with the
of scheduled wastes. Examples of these are
day-to-day activities of households and
polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs), organochlorine
maintenance of a clean municipality, for example:
pesticides and hexachloro-benzene. There are some
- garbage & domestic household waste, facilities available for these wastes and further

- residential kerbside collections information available. Contact EPA for further advice.

- residential hard waste collections Acid sulfate soils includes any soil, sediment,

- residential self-haul waste unconsolidated geological material or disturbed

consolidated rock mass containing metal sulfides
- residential garden waste
exceeding criteria published in EPA publication 655,
- municipal litter collections
Acid sulfate soil and rock. If managed
- municipal street sweepings
inappropriately, waste acid sulfate soils may oxidise
- park waste. to produce acid which poses a risk to human health

The Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and and the environment.

Management of Landfills) applies to all landfills in

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Table 5: Prescribed Waste List

General Prescribed Wastes Contaminated soil that is either Non-halogenated organic

Category A waste, Category B chemicals (not otherwise
Grease interceptor trap effluent
waste or Category C waste, as specified)
arising from domestic premises
defined in the Environment
Non-toxic salts
Prescribed Industrial Wastes Protection (Prescribed Wastes)
Regulation 1998. Organic solvents (excluding
Acids in a solid form and acidic
halogenated solvents)
solutions with a pH value of 4 or Copper compounds
less Oxidising agents including
Cyanides (inorganic)
chlorates, perchlorates,
Alkaline solids and alkaline
Cyanides (organic) peroxides
solutions with a pH value of 9 or
more Detergents and surface active Phenol and phenol compounds
agents (surfactants) (including halogenated
Animal and vegetable oils and
phenols)
derivatives Filter cake
Phosphorus and phosphorous
Animal effluent and residues Fly ash
compounds
including abattoir effluent,
Grease interceptor trap effluent
poultry and fish processing Prescribed industrial wastes
wastes Halogenated organic chemicals that are encapsulated,
(not otherwise specified) chemically fixed, solidified or
Antimony and antimony
polymerised
compounds Halogenated organic solvents
Residues from industrial waste
Any congener of polychlorinated Heterocyclic organic
treatment or disposal
dibenzo-furans (PCDFs) compounds containing oxygen,
operations (not otherwise
nitrogen or sulphur
Any congener of polychlorinated specified) including filter
dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) Highly odorous organic backwash waters
chemicals (including
Arsenic and arsenic compounds Selenium and selenium
mercaptans and acrylates)
compounds
Asbestos (all forms)
Highly reactive chemicals (not
Silver and silver compounds
Barium and barium compounds otherwise specified)
Spent catalysts
Beryllium and beryllium Inert sludges or slurries
compounds Tannery wastes (not otherwise
Inorganic chemicals (not
specified) including leather
Boron and boron compounds otherwise specified)
dust, ash, sludges and flours
Cadmium and cadmium Inorganic fluorine compounds
Tellurium and tellurium
compounds (excluding calcium fluoride)
compounds
Caustic neutralised wastes Inorganic sulphur containing
Textile effluent and residues
containing metallic constituents compounds
(not otherwise specified)
Ceramic based fibres with Isocyanate compounds
Thallium and thallium
physico-chemical
Lead and lead compounds compounds
characteristics similar to those
of asbestos Mercury and mercury Vanadium compounds
compounds
Chromium compounds Vegetable, fruit, food
Metal carbonyls processing effluent
Clinical and related wastes (not
otherwise specified) Nickel compounds Vehicle, machinery and
industrial washwaters with or
Cobalt and cobalt compounds
without detergents

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Waste chemical substances photographic chemicals and Waste substances or articles

arising from research and processing materials containing or contaminated
development or teaching with polychlorinated biphenyls
resins, latex, plasticisers, glues
activities (not otherwise (PCBs) or polybrominated
and adhesives (not otherwise
specified), that are new or biphenyls (PBBs)
specified) excluding solid inert
unidentified substances with
polymeric materials Waste tarry residues arising
unknown human health or
from refining, distillation, and
environmental effects wood-preserving chemicals (not
any pyrolytic treatment
otherwise specified)
Waste from the production,
Wastes of an explosive nature
formulation and use of: pharmaceutical products (not
not subject to any other
otherwise specified)
biocides and legislation including azides
phytopharmaceuticals (not Waste oils unfit for their original
Wool scouring wastes
otherwise specified) intended use
Zinc compounds
inks, dyes, pigments, paints, Waste oil and water mixtures or
lacquers and varnish (not emulsions and hydrocarbon
otherwise specified) and water mixtures or
emulsions
organic solvents (not otherwise
specified) Waste resulting from surface
treatment of metals and plastics

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Table 6: Specific hazard characteristics

Any solid prescribed industrial waste which displays one or more of the hazard characteristics listed in the
following table is classified as Category A.

Hazard characteristic Definition 7

Explosive wastes An explosive waste is a solid waste (or mixture of wastes) which is in itself capable by chemical
reaction of producing gas at such a temperature and pressure and at such a speed as to cause
damage to the surroundings.
Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 1’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995 and/or classified as ‘Goods too dangerous to be transported’
under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code.
Flammable solid wastes Waste solids, other than those classified as explosives, which under conditions encountered in
transport or containment are readily combustible, or may cause or contribute to fire through
friction.
Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 4.1’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Wastes liable to Wastes which are liable to spontaneous heating under normal conditions encountered in
spontaneous transport, or to heating up in contact with air, and being then liable to catch fire.
combustion Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 4.2’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Wastes which, in contact Wastes which, by interaction with water, are liable to become spontaneously flammable or to
with water, emit give off flammable gases in dangerous quantities.
flammable gases Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 4.3’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Oxidising wastes Wastes which, while in themselves not necessarily combustible, may, generally by yielding
oxygen, cause or contribute to, the combustion of other materials.
Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 5.1’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Organic peroxide wastes Organic wastes which contain the bivalent-O-O-structure and which are thermally unstable and
may undergo exothermic self-accelerating decomposition.
Note – These are wastes classified as ‘Class 5.2’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.

7
Definitions are adopted from the Industrial Waste Management Policy (Movement of Controlled Wastes between States and Territories) 2001.
In this document the word ’flammable‘ has the same meaning as ’inflammable‘. Flammable liquid wastes are waste liquids, or mixtures of
liquids, or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension (for example, paints, varnishes, lacquers, etc.) which give off flammable vapour
at temperatures of not more than 60.5 degrees Celsius, closed-cup test, or not more than 65.6 degrees Celsius, open-cup test. Note: The
definition of flammable liquid wastes are wastes classified as ‘Class 3’ under the provisions of the Road Transport (Dangerous Goods) Act
1995.

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Hazard characteristic Definition 7

Infectious wastes Wastes containing viable microorganisms or their toxins which are known or suspected to
cause disease in animals or humans.
Note – This includes clinical and related wastes as prescribed in the Environment Protection
(Prescribed Waste) Regulations 1998 and is waste classified as ‘Class 6.2’ under the provisions
of the Road Transport (Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Corrosive wastes Wastes which, by chemical action, will cause severe damage when in contact with living tissue,
or in the case of leakage, will materially damage, or even destroy, other goods or the means of
transport or containment; they may also cause other hazards.
Note – This includes wastes classified as ‘Class 8’ under the provisions of the Road Transport
(Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.
Wastes that liberate Wastes which, by liberation with air or water, are liable to give off toxic gases in dangerous
toxic gases in contact quantities.
with air or water Note – These are wastes liable to give off toxic gases that are classified as ‘Class 2.3’ under the
provisions of the Road Transport (Dangerous Goods) Act 1995.

3. FURTHER READING

• Australian Standard 4439.2 – 1997. Wastes, sediments and contaminated soils. Part 2: Preparation of
leachates – Zero headspace procedure
• Australian Standard 4439.3 – 1997. Wastes, sediments and contaminated soils. Part 3: Preparation of
leachates – Bottle leaching procedure
• Environment Protection (Prescribed Waste) Regulations 1998
• EPA publication 996, Guidelines for hazard classification of solid prescribed industrial wastes
• EPA publication 878, Classification for contaminated soil
• EPA publication 788, Best practice environmental management (Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation
landfills)
• EPA publication 655, Acid sulfate soil and rock
• EPA publication 395, Instructions for completion of transport certificates
• EPA publication 441, A guide to the sampling and analysis of waters, wastewaters, soils and wastes
• EPA publication 364, The transport and disposal of asbestos
• EPA publication 344, Transport and management of used containers
• Industrial waste management policy (Movement of controlled wastes between States and Territories)
• Industrial waste management policy (Prescribed industrial waste)
• Waste management policy (Siting, design and management of landfills).

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