(1) Applicability. The requirements of this section apply to owners and operators of permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facilities and of dangerous waste recycling facilities operating under the requirements of this chapter who receive dangerous waste from off-site sources or who initiates a shipment of dangerous waste off-site. If a facility receives dangerous waste accompanied by a manifest, the owner, operator, or their agent must sign and date the manifest as indicated in subsection (2) of this section to certify that the dangerous waste covered by the manifest was received, that the dangerous waste was received except as noted in the discrepancy space of the manifest, or that the dangerous waste was rejected as noted in the manifest discrepancy space.

(2) If a facility receives dangerous waste shipment accompanied by a manifest, the owner, operator, or their agent, must:

(a) Sign and date, by hand, each copy of the manifest;

(b) Note any discrepancies (as defined in subsection (5)(a) of this section) on each copy of the manifest;

(d) Within thirty days of delivery, send a copy of the manifest to the generator;

(e) Paper manifest submission requirements are:

(i) Options for compliance on June 30, 2018. Beginning on June 30, 2018, send the top copy (page 1) of any paper manifest and any paper continuation sheet to the e-Manifest system for purposes of data entry and processing, or in lieu of submitting the paper copy to EPA, the owner or operator may transmit to the EPA system an image file on page 1 of the manifest and any continuation sheet, or both a data file and image file corresponding to page 1 of the manifest and any continuation sheet, within thirty days of the date of delivery. Submissions of copies to the e-Manifest system shall be made and the mailing address or electronic mail/submission address specified at the e-Manifest program website's directory of services. Beginning on June 30, 2021, EPA will not accept mailed paper manifests from facilities for processing in e-Manifest.

(ii) Options for compliance on June 30, 2021. Beginning on June 30, 2021, the requirement to send the top copy (page 1) of the paper manifest and any paper continuation sheet to the e-Manifest system for purposes of data entry and processing, may be met by the owner or operator only by transmitting to the EPA system an image file of page 1 of the manifest and any continuation sheet, or by transmitting to the EPA system both a data file and image file corresponding to page 1 of the manifest and any continuation sheet, within thirty days of the date of delivery. Submissions of copies to the e-Manifest system shall be made and the mailing address or electronic mail/submission address specified at the e-Manifest program website's directory of services; and

(f) Retain at the facility a copy of each manifest for at least three years from the date of delivery.

(3) The owner or operator of a facility receiving dangerous waste subject to 40 C.F.R. Part 262, Subpart H (as incorporated by reference at WAC 173-303-230(1)) from a foreign source must:

(a) Additionally list the relevant consent number from consent documentation supplied by EPA to the facility for each waste listed on the manifest, matched to the relevant list number for the waste from block 9b. If additional space is needed, the owner or operator should use a Continuation Sheet(s) (EPA Form 8700-22A); and

(b) Send a copy of the manifest within thirty days of delivery to EPA using the addresses listed in 40 C.F.R. 262.82(e) until the facility can submit such a copy to the e-Manifest system per subsection (2)(e) of this section.

(4) If a facility receives, from a rail or water (bulk shipment) transporter, dangerous waste which is accompanied by a manifest or shipping paper containing all the information required on the manifest (excluding the EPA/state identification numbers, generator's certification, and signatures), the owner or operator, or their agent, must:

(a) Sign and date each copy of the manifest or shipping paper to certify that the dangerous waste covered by the manifest or shipping paper was received;

(b) Note any significant discrepancies in the manifest or shipping paper, as described in subsection (5) of this section, on each copy of the manifest or shipping paper;

(d) Within thirty days after the delivery, send a copy of the signed and dated manifest or a signed and dated copy of the shipping paper (if the manifest has not been received within thirty days after delivery) to the generator; and

(e) Retain at the facility a copy of each manifest and shipping paper (if signed in lieu of the manifest at the time of delivery) for at least three years from the date of delivery.

(5) Manifest discrepancies.

(a) Manifest discrepancies are:

(i) Significant differences (as defined in (b) of this subsection) between the quantity or type of dangerous waste designated on the manifest or shipping paper, and the quantity and type of dangerous waste a facility actually receives;

(ii) Rejected wastes, which may be a full or partial shipment of dangerous waste that the TSDF cannot accept; or

(iii) Container residues, which are residues that exceed the quantity limits for "empty" containers set forth in WAC 173-303-160(2).

(b) Significant differences in quantity are: For bulk waste, variations greater than ten percent in weight (for example, tanker trucks, railroad tank cars, etc.); for batch waste, any variations in piece count, such as a discrepancy of one drum in a truckload. Significant differences in type are obvious differences which can be discovered by inspection or waste analysis such as waste solvent substituted for waste acid, or toxic constituents not reported on the manifest or shipping paper.

(c) Upon discovering a significant difference in quantity or type, the owner or operator must attempt to reconcile the discrepancy with the waste generator or transporter. If the discrepancy is not resolved within fifteen days after receiving the waste, the owner or operator must immediately submit to the department a letter describing the discrepancy and attempts to reconcile it, and a copy of the manifest or shipping paper at issue.

(d)(i) Upon rejecting waste or identifying a container residue that exceeds the quantity limits for "empty" containers set forth in WAC 173-303-160(2), the facility must consult with the generator prior to forwarding the waste to another facility that can manage the waste. If it is impossible to locate an alternative facility that can receive the waste, the facility may return the rejected waste or residue to the generator. The facility must send the waste to the alternative facility or to the generator within sixty days of the rejection or the container residue identification.

(ii) While the facility is making arrangements for forwarding rejected wastes or residues to another facility under this section, it must ensure that either the delivering transporter retains custody of the waste, or the facility must provide for secure, temporary custody of the waste, pending delivery of the waste to the first transporter designated on the manifest prepared under (e) or (f) of this subsection.

(e) Except as provided in (e)(vii) of this subsection, for full or partial load rejections and residues that are to be sent off-site to an alternate facility, the facility is required to prepare a new manifest in accordance with WAC 173-303-180 and the following instructions:

(i) Write the generator's EPA/state ID# in Item 1 of the new manifest. Write the generator's name and mailing address in Item 5 of the new manifest. If the mailing address is different from the generator's site address, then write the generator's site address in the designated space for Item 5.

(ii) Write the name of the alternate designated facility and the facility's EPA/state ID# in the designated facility block (Item 8) of the new manifest.

(iii) Copy the manifest tracking number found in Item 4 of the old manifest to the special handling and additional information block of the new manifest, and indicate that the shipment is a residue or rejected waste from the previous shipment.

(iv) Copy the manifest tracking number found in Item 4 of the new manifest to the manifest reference number line in the discrepancy block of the old manifest (Item 18a).

(v) Write the DOT description for the rejected load or the residue in Item 9 (U.S. DOT Description) of the new manifest and write the container types, quantity, and volume(s) of waste.

(vi) Sign the generator's/offeror's certification to certify, as the offeror of the shipment, that the waste has been properly packaged, marked and labeled and is in proper condition for transportation and mail a signed copy of the manifest to the generator identified in Item 5 of the new manifest.

(vii) For full load rejections that are made while the transporter remains present at the facility, the facility may forward the rejected shipment to the alternate facility by completing Item 18b of the original manifest and supplying the information on the next destination facility in the alternate facility space. The facility must retain a copy of this manifest for its records, and then give the remaining copies of the manifest to the transporter to accompany the shipment. If the original manifest is not used, then the facility must use a new manifest and comply with (e)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi) of this subsection.

(f) Except as provided in (f)(vii) of this subsection, for rejected wastes and residues that must be sent back to the generator, the facility is required to prepare a new manifest in accordance with WAC 173-303-180 and the following instructions:

(i) Write the facility's EPA/state ID# in Item 1 of the new manifest. Write the facility's name and mailing address in Item 5 of the new manifest. If the mailing address is different from the facility's site address, then write the facility's site address in the designated space for Item 5 of the new manifest.

(ii) Write the name of the initial generator and the generator's EPA/state ID# in the designated facility block (Item 8) of the new manifest.

(iv) Copy the manifest tracking number found in Item 4 of the new manifest to the manifest reference number line in the discrepancy block of the old manifest (Item 18a).

(v) Write the DOT description for the rejected load or the residue in Item 9 (U.S. DOT Description) of the new manifest and write the container types, quantity, and volume(s) of waste.

(vi) Sign the generator's/offeror's certification to certify, as offeror of the shipment, that the waste has been properly packaged, marked and labeled and is in proper condition for transportation.

(vii) For full load rejections that are made while the transporter remains at the facility, the facility may return the shipment to the generator with the original manifest by completing Item 18a and 18b of the manifest and supplying the generator's information in the alternate facility space. The facility must retain a copy for its records and then give the remaining copies of the manifest to the transporter to accompany the shipment. If the original manifest is not used, then the facility must use a new manifest and comply with (f)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), and (viii) of this subsection.

(viii) For full or partial load rejections and container residues contained in nonempty containers that are returned to the generator, the facility must also comply with the exception reporting requirements in WAC 173-303-220(2).

(g) If a facility rejects a waste or identifies a container residue that exceeds the quantity limits for "empty" containers set forth in WAC 173-303-160(2) after it has signed, dated, and returned a copy of the manifest to the delivering transporter or to the generator, the facility must amend its copy of the manifest to indicate the rejected wastes or residues in the discrepancy space of the amended manifest. The facility must also copy the manifest tracking number from Item 4 of the new manifest to the discrepancy space of the amended manifest, and must re-sign and date the manifest to certify to the information as amended. The facility must retain the amended manifest for at least three years from the date of amendment, and must within thirty days, send a copy of the amended manifest to the transporter and generator that received copies prior to their being amended.

(6) Reasons for not accepting dangerous waste shipments. The owner or operator may decide that a dangerous shipment should not be accepted by their facility.

(a) The following are acceptable reasons for denying receipt of a dangerous waste shipment:

(i) The facility is not capable of properly managing the type(s) of dangerous waste in the shipment;

(ii) There is a significant discrepancy (as described in subsection (5) of this section) between the shipment and the wastes listed on the manifest or shipping paper; or

(iii) The shipment has arrived in a condition which the owner or operator believes would present an unreasonable hazard to facility operations, or to facility personnel handling the dangerous waste(s) (including, but not limited to, leaking or damaged containers, and improperly labeled containers).

(b) The owner or operator may send the shipment on to the alternate facility designated on the manifest or shipping paper, or contact the generator to identify another facility capable of handling the waste and provide for its delivery to that other facility, unless, the containers are damaged to such an extent, or the dangerous waste is in such a condition as to present a hazard to the public health or the environment in the process of further transportation.

(c) If the dangerous waste shipment cannot leave the facility for the reasons described in (b) of this subsection, then the owner or operator must take those actions described in the contingency plan, WAC 173-303-350 (3)(b).

(7) Within three working days of the receipt of a shipment subject to 40 C.F.R. Part 262, Subpart H (which is incorporated by reference at WAC 173-303-230(1)), the owner or operator of the facility must provide a copy of the movement document bearing all required signatures to the foreign exporter; to the competent authorities of the countries of export and transit that control the shipment as an export and transit of dangerous waste respectively; and on or after the electronic import-export reporting compliance date, to EPA electronically using EPA's Waste Import Export Tracking System (WIETS), or its successor system. The original copy of the movement document must be maintained at the facility for at least three years from the date of signature. The owner or operator of a facility may satisfy this recordkeeping requirement by retaining electronically submitted documents in the facility's account on EPA's WIETS, or its successor system, provided that copies are readily available for viewing and production if requested by any EPA or authorized state inspector. No owner or operator of a facility may be held liable for the inability to produce the documents for inspection under this section if the owner or operator of a facility can demonstrate that the inability to produce the document is due exclusively to technical difficulty with EPA's WIETS, or its successor system, for which the owner or operator of a facility bears no responsibility.

(8) A facility must determine whether the consignment state for a shipment regulates any additional wastes (beyond those regulated federally) as hazardous wastes under its state hazardous waste program. Facilities must also determine whether the consignment state or generator state requires the facility to submit any copies of the manifest to these states.

(9) Whenever a shipment of dangerous waste is initiated from a facility, the owner or operator of that facility must comply with the requirements of this chapter. The provisions of WAC 173-303-172, 173-303-174, and 173-303-200 through 173-303-201 of this chapter are applicable to the on-site accumulation of dangerous waste by generators. Therefore, the provisions of WAC 173-303-170, 173-303-172, 173-303-174, and 173-303-200 through 173-303-201 of this chapter only apply to owners or operators who are shipping dangerous waste which they generated at that facility or operating as a large quantity generator consolidating dangerous waste from small quantity generators under WAC 173-303-200(15).

(10) Use of electronic manifest.

(a) Legal equivalence to paper manifests. Electronic manifests that are obtained, completed, and transmitted in accordance with WAC 173-303-180(9) and used in accordance with this section in lieu of the paper manifest form are the legal equivalent of paper manifest forms bearing handwritten signatures, and satisfy for all purposes any requirement in this section to obtain, complete, sign, provide, use or retain a manifest.

(i) Any requirement in this section for the owner or operator of a facility to sign a manifest or manifest certification by hand, or to obtain a handwritten signature, is satisfied by signing with or obtaining a valid and enforceable electronic signature within the meaning of WAC 173-303-180(11).

(ii) Any requirement in this section to give, provide, send, forward, or return to another person a copy of the manifest is satisfied when an electronic manifest is transmitted to the other person by submission to the e-Manifest system.

(iii) Any requirement in this section for a manifest to accompany a dangerous waste shipment is satisfied when a copy of an electronic manifest is accessible during transportation and forwarded to the person or persons who are scheduled to receive delivery of the dangerous waste shipment.

(iv) Any requirement in this section for an owner or operator of a facility to keep or retain a copy of each manifest is satisfied by retention of the facility's electronic manifest copies in its account on the national e-Manifest system, provided that such copies are readily available for viewing and production upon request.

(v) An owner or operator of a facility may not be held liable for the inability to produce an electronic manifest for inspection under this section if the owner or operator can demonstrate that the inability to produce the electronic manifest is due exclusively to a technical difficulty with the EPA's electronic manifest system for which the owner or operator bears no responsibility.

(b) An owner or operator may participate in the electronic manifest system either by accessing the electronic manifest system from the owner's or operator's electronic equipment, or by accessing the electronic manifest system from portable equipment brought to the owner's or operator's site by the transporter who delivers the waste shipment to the facility.

(c) Special procedures applicable to replacement manifests. If a facility receives dangerous waste that is accompanied by a paper replacement manifest for a manifest that was originated electronically, the following procedures apply to the delivery of the dangerous waste by the final transporter:

(i) Upon delivery of the dangerous waste to the designated facility, the owner or operator must sign and date each copy of the paper replacement manifest by hand in Item 20 (Designated Facility Certification or Receipt) and note any discrepancies in Item 18 (Discrepancy Indication Space) of the replacement manifest;

(ii) The owner or operator of the facility must give back to the final transporter one copy of the paper replacement manifest;

(iii) Within thirty days of delivery of the dangerous waste to the designated facility, the owner or operator of the facility must send one signed and dated copy of the paper replacement manifest to the generator, and send an additional signed and dated copy of the paper replacement manifest to the EPA e-Manifest system; and

(iv) The owner or operator of the facility must retain at the facility one copy of the paper replacement manifest for at least five years from the date of delivery.

(d) Special procedures for electronic signature methods undergoing tests. If an owner or operator using an electronic manifest signs this manifest electronically using an electronic signature method which is undergoing pilot or demonstration tests aimed at demonstrating the practicality or legal dependability of this signature method, then the owner or operator shall also sign with an ink signature the facility's certification of receipt or discrepancies on the printed copy of the manifest provided by the transporter. Upon executing its ink signature on this printed copy, the owner or operator shall retain this original copy for at least five years from the date of delivery of the waste.

(e) Imposition of user fee.

(i) As prescribed in 40 C.F.R. Part 264.1311, and determined in Part 264.1312, an owner or operator who is a user of the electronic manifest system shall be assessed a user fee by EPA for the submission and processing of each electronic and paper manifest. EPA shall update the schedule of user fees and publish them to the user community, as provided in 40 C.F.R. Part 264.1313.

(ii) An owner or operator subject to user fees under this section shall make user fee payments in accordance with the requirements of 40 C.F.R. Part 264.1314, subject to the informal fee dispute resolution process of 40 C.F.R. Part 264.1316, and subject to the sanctions for delinquent payments under 40 C.F.R. Part 264.1315.

(f) Electronic manifest signatures. Electronic manifest signatures shall meet the criteria described in WAC 173-303-180(11).

(g) Post-receipt manifest data corrections. After facilities have certified to the receipt of dangerous wastes by signing Item 20 of the manifest, any post-receipt data corrections may be submitted at any time by any interested person (e.g., waste handler) shown on the manifest.

(i) Interested persons must make all corrections to manifest data by electronic submission, either by directly entering corrected data to the web based service provided in e-Manifest for such corrections, or by an upload of a data file containing data corrections relating to one or more previously submitted manifests.

(ii) Each correction submission must include the following information:

(A) The manifest tracking number and date of receipt by the facility of the original manifest(s) for which data are being corrected;

(B) The item number(s) of the original manifest that is the subject of the submitted correction(s); and

(C) For each item number with corrected data, the data previously entered and the corresponding data as corrected by the correction submission.

(iii) Each correction submission shall include a statement that the person submitting the corrections certifies that to the best of his or her knowledge or belief, the corrections that are included in the submission will cause the information reported about the previously received dangerous wastes to be true, accurate, and complete:

(A) The certification statement must be executed with a valid electronic signature; and

(B) A batch upload of data corrections may be submitted under one certification statement.

(iv) Upon receipt by the system of any correction submission, other interested persons shown on the manifest will be provided electronic notice of the submitter's corrections.

(v) Other interested persons shown on the manifest may respond to the submitter's corrections with comments to the submitter, or by submitting another correction to the system certified by the respondent as specified in (g)(iii) of this subsection, and with notice of the corrections to other interested persons shown on the manifest.

(11) Fees for the electronic Hazardous Waste Manifest program. The fee requirements for the electronic Hazardous Waste Manifest System at 40 C.F.R. Part, 264 Subpart FF are incorporated by references.

PDFWAC 173-303-370

Manifest system.