What must a health care facility provide to the EPA if it does not receive a signed shipping document?

• A. A copy of the manifest
• B. A copy of the manifest along with an explanation of efforts taken to locate the hazardous waste and the results
• C. A notice of partial shipment
• D. A list of all waste types

Answer: (B)

Tracking hazardous waste relies on the manifest as proof the waste was properly handed off and received. If the facility does not get a signed manifest back, the regulation requires you to send the EPA a copy of that manifest plus a written explanation of the efforts you made to locate the waste and the results of those efforts. This shows due diligence and keeps the regulatory record complete while you determine what happened to the shipment. A plain manifest copy or other options alone don’t provide the necessary context about missing receipt or the steps taken to resolve it, and a notice of partial shipment or a list of waste types doesn’t address the requirement to document attempts to locate the waste.