How To Understand And Understand Solid And Hazardous Waste

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1 Learning Objectives Solid and Hazardous Wastes Gene D. Schroder PhD To understand the sources of solid and hazardous wastes. To understand methods of solid waste disposal. To evaluate the health risks posed by abandoned waste sites and waste disposal operations. To evaluate the legislation designed to control the production, cleanup and disposal of solid and hazardous waste disposal operations. Statement of Problem 6 to 10 billion tons of wastes generated in U.S. each year 130 pounds/person/days direct disposal about 4 pounds/person/day Estimated 14,000 generators of hazardous wastes mmt annually Estimated 13,000 uncontrolled dump sites 1450 sites on NPL (2000) 59 proposed sites Definitions Solid Waste - Any substance not easily disposed of in air or water. household wastes, lawn clippings, construction debris, sewage sludge, tires, etc. Hazardous Wastes - Particularly dangerous wastes; cause or contribute to increase in mortality or otherwise pose threat to human health. legally defined based EPA testing requirements ingnitability, corrosivity, reactivity, toxicity 400 chemicals and 100 waste streams

2 Waste Management and Prevention Preferred Hierarchy source reduction reduce packaging modify production materials/methods market for wastes recycling reuse / remanufacture export economics treatment vitrification, detoxification disposal landfill / surface impoundment incineration / energy production underground injection

3 Legislation Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund) Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act RCRA Regulates disposal of solid and hazardous wastes Solid wastes - national program on solid waste management municipal i garbage, industrial i wastes, sewage sludge, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes, and mining wastes waste reduction financial and technical aid to state and local governments to develop methods for improved solid waste collection, separation, recovery and disposal prohibits new open dump sites RCRA (cont.) Hazardous wastes - regulation of hazardous wastes from cradle to grave treatment, storage, transportation and disposal defines hazardous wastes: listed substance (400+) mixture of listed substances not listed but toxic, persistent, bioaccumulates, flammable, corrosive or reactive RCRA (cont.) excludes: municipal garbage, agricultural residues, products of oil and gas production, mining wastes specifies: steps needed to track shipment from generator to disposal site (manifest system) how storage, treatment and disposal facilities are to be designed and managed maintenance of disposal sites after closure

4 Hazardous Waste Sites Valley of Drums - Kentucky Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services - New Jersey Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act - CERCLA (Superfund 1980) Funding not regulatory Requires EPA to identify hazardous waste sites and determine their risk to the environment and human health. over 13,000 uncontrolled sites, 2,000 of imminent heath danger 1,450 sites on the National Priority List (NPL) 757 sites cleaned up Owners (PRPs) paid for 70% of NPL sites cleaned so far Private settlements valued at $18 billion Average costs $25 million per site; much going into legal fees averge cleanup time is 12 years CERCLA (cont.) Funds come from Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund (Superfund) 87.5% from tax on chemical industry; 12.5% from treasury Requires es that responsible s e parties (PRP s) clean up Strict Liability PRPs either owners, operators, generators, transporters Retroactive No statute of limitations Joint and Several Each PRP potentially responsible for total cleanup costs If they don t come forward and EPA pays costs then sues for triple costs

5 CERCLA (cont.) Provides temporary relocation to aggrieved citizens Does not grant relief for oil spill, nor does it grant medical expenses for victims Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA ) Reauthorizes funding of waste site cleanups. Title III (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know to Act of 1986) required community/industry emergency planning emergency notification of accidental releases community right-to-know reporting requirements toxic chemical release inventory reporting SARA (cont.) Title III provides for establishement of: State Emergency Response Commissions Emergency Planning Districts Local Emergency Planning Committees to respond to emergency situations involving hazardous wastes Title III first such legislation to directly involve health professionals must be provided information about health risks involving hazardous materials releases Health Aspects Release and Migration chemical characteristics, decomposition, solubility, volatility, bioaccumulation soil characteristics - clay/organic better than sand or gravel ground water contamination most serious Human Exposure all the usual problems with estimating exposure most exposures chronic and long duration

6 Waste Sites and Health Risks French Limited Site How great are the risks? What are the routes of exposure? How are health effects determined? How clean is clean? Who should pay for cleanup? French Limited Site French Limited Site

7 French Limited Site MOTCA Site Hazardous Wastes Export "I've always thought that underpopulated countries in Africa are vastly underpolluted. " - Lawrence Summers, chief economist of the World Bank, explaining why we should export toxic wastes to Third World countries.