Hazardous waste

SARA enforcement

"Guilty until proven innocent" Increased liability from fines to both civil and criminal penalties The CEO of the company or plant manager can go to jail The penalties can cover mishandling of laboratory data

Mitigation Protocols

Air Pollution Control - Immediate Threat Water Discharges Solids (Waste, Waste/Soils, Soils)

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know (EPCRA)

Also called SARA Title III - gives communities the right to know about releases of hazardous chemicals Requires industries to inform fire depts. & other emergency groups about the types & amounts of chemicals on site.

Produce less waste

Avoid creating wastes in the first place Recycle and Reuse - what is waste to one industry is raw product for another Use less toxic alternative

Toxic (T)

Bases on liquid phase or extract from TCLP as presented. Contraction 100X>Primary Drinking Water Standard (for non-hazardous wastes) Concentration 10X> Primary Drinking Water (for hazardous wastes)

biomagnification

Bioaccumulation occurring through several levels of the food webs

pollution avoidance

Changing the process or the materials or both so that the harmful pollutants are not produced in the first place

Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)

Chemicals that present a certain hazard or risk

CERCLA 1980

Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) - 1976

Comprehensive program requiring rigorous testing and management of toxic and hazardous substances "Cradle (point of generation) to grave (ultimate disposal)" accounting

Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP)

Determines if a waste is a hazardous or solid waste

Ignitable (I)

Flash point <60°C (140°F). Solids with high ignitable potential and when ignited burn so vigorously and persistently it creates a hazard.

Clean Air Act 1970

Foundation of US air pollution control efforts

toxic chemicals

Heavy metals, e.g. lead or mercury Non-biodegradable synthetic organics, e.g., DDT or paint thinner

Categories of hazardous materials

Ignitability- D001 Corrosivity (acids)- D002 Reactivity- D003 Toxicity- D004-D017 Unspecified wastes- U and P

hazardous waste

Legally, hazardous waste is any discarded liquid or solid that contains substances known to be: 1. Fatal to humans or laboratory animals in low doses 2. Toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic to humans or other life-forms; 3. Ignitable with a flash point less than 60o C; 4. Corrosive 5. Explosive or highly reactive.

objectives of CERCLA

Make the Sites safer - threats immediately and address problems at the sites first Make sites cleaner - accelerate and improve long-term clean-up actions at sites Strengthen enforcement and maximize responsible party work at sites Bring innovative technologies to bear when cleaning-up Superfund sites Implement and aggressive program of community involvement Communicate progress to the public

secure landfills

Modern, complex landfills with multiple liners and other impervious layers, covered by a cap. Leachate is processed and monitoring sees that no toxins escape

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Law requires business & industries to make information regarding hazardous materials & suitable protective equipment available to all employees

superfund cleanup with bioremediation

Oxygen & organisms are injected into contaminated zones The organisms feed on & eliminate the pollutants They die when the pollutants are gone

organics

Persistent organics will not biodegrade like DDT and PCBs. Non-persistent depends on the situation and mode of remediation/treatment.

convert to less hazardous substance

Physical Treatment (Isolation) Incineration Chemical Processing (Transformation to non-toxic substances) Bioremediation (Microorganisms detoxify)

pollution prevention

Pollution avoidance Responsible care Green products

green products

Products that are more environmentally safe than their traditional counterparts

Groundwater Remediation

Program that involves cleaning up contaminated groundwater sources

superfund for toxic sites

Provides funds for identification & cleanup of toxic sites throughout the US Unfortunately, many sites have not been cleaned much of the money is spent on legal costs recently a move to shift costs to taxpayers

responsible care

Reduce pollutants as much as possible Achieve this mainly through pollution avoidance

SARA (Superfund Amendment Reauthorization ACT 1986)

Requires a health and safety program and training at superfund clean-up site, requires a certified industrial hygienist OSHA Training for workers and supervisors

Underground Storage Tank (UST)

Requires strict monitoring of fuel supplies, tanks, & piping so that leaks may be detected early

F and K wastes

Spent solvents, process wastewater sludges, and listed Industries

biaccumulate

The accumulation of higher & higher concentrations of potentially toxic chemicals in organisms

Clean Water Act 1972

The cornerstone federal legislation addressing water pollution

Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974

The focus is to maintain the purity of any water source that may potentially be used as drinking water Includes both surface water and groundwater

Reactive (R)

Unstable (Autopolymerize, thermal, shock, strong oxidizers) (Shock instability test as required for class A explosives) Reacts violently with water Forms potentially explosive mixture with water

TCLP

Uses acidic acid at pH 4.88 for non-alkaline wastes Uses acidic acid at pH = 2.88 for alkaline wastes Dilution related to mixing of landfill leachates to groundwater

Brownfield

contaminated properties that have been abandoned or are not being used up to potential because of pollution concerns

Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976

designed to prevent unsafe or illegal disposal of wastes on land. EPA must identify hazardous waste Sets standards for hazardous waste Permits required for hazardous waste generators

retrievable storage

in containers in salt mines or caverns Can be inspected and periodically retrieved if necessary

typs of hazardous waste

listed waste priority pollutants infectious radioactivity mutagenic, carinogenic or teratogenic generic (flammability, corrrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity criteria)

Corrosive (C)

pH level below 2 or over 12.5

sources of toxic products in the environment

shampoo, pesticides, fertilizers, road salts, gasoline, lubricants, solvents, cleaning fluids, cooling fluids, oils