Cradle-to-grave hazardous waste management system

FIGURE 12.1 RCRA s cradle-to-grave hazardous waste management system. (Adapted from U.S. EPA, RCRA Orientation Manual, www.epa.gov/waste/inforesources/pubs/orientat/roml.pdf.)... 

Under RCRA, hazardous waste generators are the first link in the cradle-to-grave hazardous waste management system. All generators must determine whether their waste is hazardous and must... 

Since 1980, under RCRA Subtitle C, U.S. EPA has developed a comprehensive program to ensure that hazardous waste is managed safely from the moment it is generated while it is transported, treated, or stored until the moment it is finally disposed (Figure 12.1). This cradle-to-grave management system establishes requirements for each of the following ... 

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) serves as the EPAs main statutory weapon. The act created a cradle-to-grave management system for current and future wastes, while the EPA authorizes cleanup of released hazardous substances. Some statutes apply to specific issues and limit the amount of wastes introduced into the air, waterways, oceans, and drinking water. Other statutes directly limit the production, rather than the release, of chemical substances and products that may contribute to the nation s wastes. The RCRA protects human health and the environment from the dangers of hazardous waste. RCRA authorizes control over the management of wastes from the moment of generation until final disposal. The RCRA was passed in 1976 as an amendment... 

The purpose of the manifesting system is to establish accountability for and tracking of hazardous waste shipments. The manifest is an important feature of RCRA s "cradle to grave" system. A generator must keep a copy of each manifest for three years. The generator must also maintain records and report hazardous waste management activity, including the amount of hazardous waste produced, the transporters of the wastes, and the TSDFs in possession of the hazardous waste (40 CFR 262.40-262.44). 

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