The EPA has three hazardous waste rule changes moving through the federal pipeline in 2026, and each one reaches facilities in Dallas, Fort Worth, and the surrounding counties through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Texas runs an EPA-authorized RCRA program, which means a federal change becomes enforceable here only after TCEQ adopts it into state rule. Generators that follow the federal proposals now gain a head start on the compliance work that follows.
The Paper Hazardous Waste Manifest Is Being Phased Out
EPA has signaled a proposed rule that sets a sunset date for paper hazardous waste manifests and moves the program fully onto the electronic e-Manifest system. Roughly 99.5 percent of the two million manifests filed each year still arrive on paper, so the shift will change daily routine for most generators.
A proposed rule could appear as early as 2026, with finalization expected in 2027. North Texas facilities that still hand-complete a paper manifest for every shipment should plan ahead for RCRAInfo registration, user access, and staff training well before the sunset date lands. Building that capability early avoids a scramble once the deadline is fixed.
Nine PFAS Compounds Are Headed for the RCRA Hazardous Constituent List
EPA proposed adding nine PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, to the RCRA list of hazardous constituents in 2024, and the agency is expected to act on that proposal during 2026. A hazardous constituent listing directly affects facilities already in the corrective action program.
Generators face a much larger shift if EPA later lists these compounds as hazardous waste, which would pull a far wider set of waste streams into full RCRA management. Facilities that handle aqueous film-forming foam, certain industrial coatings, or PFAS-bearing process waste should watch this proposal closely. Disposal and documentation requirements change the moment a waste stream becomes regulated, and the cost of getting ahead of that change is far lower than the cost of reacting to it.
Lithium Batteries and Solar Panels Get Their Own Universal Waste Categories
EPA plans to propose adding lithium batteries and solar panels to the universal waste rules under 40 CFR Part 273. The change would give facilities a simpler path for accumulating and shipping these items rather than managing them under full hazardous waste standards.
North Texas keeps adding data centers, solar installations, and battery-heavy operations, and many of those facilities handle end-of-life lithium batteries inconsistently today. A clear universal waste pathway would simplify storage and transport while reducing the fire risk that improperly packed lithium cells carry. Generators already accumulating spent batteries should confirm how those cells are stored and shipped under current rules.
How North Texas Generators Should Prepare
None of these rules are final, and the federal timeline depends on budget and rulemaking schedules that have already shifted more than once. The practical move for a Dallas or Fort Worth facility is to confirm three things now. Know which of your waste streams a PFAS listing could touch. Confirm that your team can file electronic manifests through RCRAInfo. Document how you currently store and ship spent lithium batteries.
A permitted hazardous waste partner can map each of these against the proposed rules and adjust your disposal program before the requirements take effect. Generators that start that review while the rules are still in proposal carry the least disruption when they become enforceable in Texas.
Hazmat Waste Disposal provides permitted hazardous waste transport and disposal, certified destruction, and laboratory chemical packing for generators across Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas, along with 24/7 emergency spill response. Request service or ask a compliance question here.
Source: Lion Technology, RCRA Hazardous Waste Rules to Watch in 2026 | Source: ALL4, 2026 RCRA and Waste Look Ahead
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