Fifty Years After RCRA Stopped Toxic Dumping, Trump's EPA Is Cutting the Paper and Keeping the Protection
On Oct. 21, RCRA's 50th anniversary, EPA launched "Common Sense RCRA Reform," with more than 25 actions in the works, from all-electronic waste manifests to cleaning up abandoned tire piles. In our view, it is how conservatives should treat a good law: keep what works and fix what does not.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 22, 2026 | 6-min read Fifty years ago this month, a Republican president signed a law to stop companies from dumping toxic waste onto American soil. On Wednesday, the Trump EPA marked that anniversary by launching "Common Sense RCRA Reform," a plan to keep the protections that work and cut the paperwork that does not [1][2]. In our view, it is the right way to honor a good law: modernize it so it keeps doing its job without choking the economy it was meant to protect. Key Takeaways EPA announced Common Sense RCRA Reform to modernize the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program through permitting reform, new technologies and faster cleanups [1]. The agency says it is already advancing several actions and is working on more than 25 more [1]. Headline steps include moving to a fully electronic hazardous waste manifest and allowing abandoned scrap tires to be used as fuel [1][3]. EPA's four goals: reduce permitting burdens, recover critical minerals from waste, revitalize waste management with modern technology, and retain health and environmental protection [1]. President