Toxic waste legislation

Much of the current activity in the field of solid-waste management, especially with respect to hazardous wastes and resources recoveiy, is a direc t consequence of legislation. It is imperative to have a working knowledge of waste regulations, including RCRA (for EPA hazardous waste) TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) for PCBs and toxic waste Sohd Waste Disposal Act the Clean Air Ac t and PSD (prevention of... 

The second possibility is the European waste legislation, which includes the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). The RoHS Directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) which sets collection, recycling, and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative to solve the problem of toxic e-waste. 

The legislation holds responsible persons and companies liable for toxic wastes cleanup and restitution costs. Unfortunately, the legislation was not clear on this point and not all federal courts have applied the same standards to determine parent corporation liability for CERCLA infractions. 

The next few years saw a welter of conflicting legislative proposals for dealing with toxic wastes. Much of the debate focused on a family of toxic synthetic organic compounds, PCBs, that in the late 1960s had been found to... 

A State Party shall treat old chemical weapons that have been confirmed by the Technical Secretariat as meeting the definition in Article II, paragraph 5 (a), as toxic waste. It shall inform the Technical Secretariat of the steps being taken to destroy or otherwise dispose of such old chemical weapons as toxic waste in accordance with its national legislation. 

The atmospheric movement of pollutants from sources to receptors is only one form of translocation. A second one involves our attempt to control air pollutants at the source. The control of parhculate matter by wet or dry scrubbing techniques 3delds large quantities of waste materials—often toxic—which are subsequently taken to landfills. If these wastes are not properly stored, they can be released to soil or water systems. The prime examples involve the disposal of toxic materials in dump sites or landfills. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and subsequent revisions are examples of legislation to ensure proper management of solid waste disposal and to minimize damage to areas near landfills (4). 

HEAVY METALS A gi oup of metals which are sometimes toxic and can be dangerous in high concentrations. The main heavy metals covered by legislation are cadmium, lead, and mercury. Industrial activities such as smelting, rubbish burning, waste disposal and adding lead to petrol increase the amount of toxic heavy metals in the environment. 

It should be noted that early remedial actions for contaminated soil consisted primarily of excavation and removal of the contaminated soil from the site and its disposal at a landfill. SARA strongly recommends on-site treatment that permanently and significantly reduces the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous substances, and utilizes cost-effective permanent solutions. The legislation prohibits land disposal of hazardous wastes unless U.S. EPA determines otherwise (as in the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments, HSWA). 

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