GUIDE
What Does "Significant Non-Complier" Mean?
Written by US Waste Index · Published Aug 30, 2026 · Last reviewed Aug 30, 2026 · not yet independently reviewed by a third-party subject-matter expert — see Editorial Policy
"Significant Non-Complier" (SNC) is a formal flag EPA applies to facilities with the most serious, ongoing compliance problems — not a label for any facility with a violation on record. As of the August 26, 2026 snapshot, a real SNC-flagged facility on US Waste Index shows what the flag looks like alongside its other compliance fields.
SNC is a specific flag, not a general compliance rating
Most facilities with a violation on record are not Significant Non-Compliers. SNC is a narrower, higher tier EPA applies when a facility's compliance problems are both serious and ongoing — not to every open violation. See our guide on what an open violation means for the more common, lower-stakes case.
The flag itself comes straight from EPA's own rolled-up compliance summary for a facility, alongside fields like total penalties and inspection counts — it isn't something US Waste Index calculates independently.
What tends to trigger it
EPA's SNC criteria generally center on pattern and severity: violations that are significant in scale, that have gone uncorrected, or that show a facility isn't responding to enforcement — rather than a single isolated incident. The exact determination is EPA's own, made against its national compliance criteria, not something this site derives from the underlying violation records itself.
What the flag doesn't tell you
An SNC flag reflects EPA's compliance-history determination as of the latest snapshot — it isn't a live legal judgment, and it doesn't by itself describe day-to-day safety at a site today. A facility's flag can also change between EPA's own refresh cycles; the date shown on this site is what to check, not a real-time status. See our guide on how current this data is for the refresh cadence.
US Waste Index never restates an SNC flag as a broader claim about a business — it's shown exactly as EPA records it, with its date, per our Editorial Policy.
How to read it before making a decision
If you're evaluating a hazardous-waste hauler or disposal company, an active SNC flag is a meaningfully stronger signal than an open violation alone — see our guide on checking a company's compliance for how it fits into a fuller read of a record, alongside violation counts, handler role, and penalty history.
A real example: reading an SNC-flagged record
Below is a real facility currently flagged as a Significant Non-Complier on US Waste Index, shown with its full compliance summary — violation counts, penalty total, and inspection history — from the same EPA data every profile on this site uses.
CUSTOM BUILDING PRODUCTS
EPA public recordGRAND PRAIRIE, TX · Registry ID 110000456382 · RCRA handler ID TX0000116376
- Handler classification(s)
- SQG
- Recorded violations
- 2
- Open violations
- 2
- Significant non-complier
- Yes
- Total penalties (5-yr)
- $27,218
- Inspections (5-yr)
- 1
As of Aug 26, 2026. View this facility's full record →
FAQ
What does "Significant Non-Complier" mean?
A formal EPA flag for facilities with the most serious, ongoing compliance problems — a narrower, higher tier than any facility that simply has a violation on record.
Does every facility with a violation get flagged as an SNC?
No. Most violations, including open ones, do not rise to SNC. It's reserved for the most serious, ongoing cases. See our guide on what an open violation means for the more common case.
Who decides whether a facility is an SNC?
EPA, against its own national compliance criteria — the flag comes directly from EPA's rolled-up compliance summary, not from a calculation US Waste Index performs.
Does an SNC flag mean a facility is currently unsafe?
Not necessarily, and it isn't a live legal judgment — it reflects EPA's compliance-history determination as of the latest snapshot. Check the snapshot date, and verify directly with EPA ECHO for anything time-sensitive.
Should I avoid a company that's flagged as an SNC?
That's a judgment call this site doesn't make for you — but a current SNC flag is a meaningfully stronger signal than a routine open violation and is worth weighing carefully alongside the rest of a company's record. See our guide on checking a company's compliance.
Primary sources
This guide is reference material compiled by US Waste Index, not original regulatory guidance — verify anything time-sensitive or high-stakes directly against these primary sources.