Lecture 02 - Solid Waste/Hazardous Waste - 28 Jan 2015 Flashcards
Two types of Waste that we are concerned with:
Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste
Solid Waste
Paper, Plastic Food Yard Waste Metal Glass Wood, etc. Municipal Waste
USA rates of waste production?
USA generates more solid waste than anybody else
Since 1960 have generated more every year except 2005-2011
Problems associated with waste disposal
Disease
Role of vectors
Contamination/Pollution
Nuisance (private/public)
Space Cost
Environmental Issues with Waste Disposal
Visible pollution
surface and ground water pollution
use of space
release of chemicals
environmental justice
Waste removal
- how often?
- who does it?
Garbage should be every week (at least in summer) - based on pest control
Who does it depends on where you live. Can be by contractor, town, individuals, etc.
Methods of Disposal
Onsite - burn/bury/leave exposed (problem of surface water pollution) - illegal, but still happens
Removal - transport/transfer
Incinerator - often burn for energy (powers the boilers in a power plant)
Sanitary landfill (problem of groundwater pollution) - these are steadily decreasing
Recycling and Waste disposal
Most waste is food, plastics, paper
Recycling is increasing
Current Disposal Methods in USA
- landfill = 54%
- Recycle = 33%
- incinerate/landfill = 13%
1988 Refuse Act
Gave U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power over navigable waters
Can’t discharge into navigable waters
Briefly describe the trend in the passage of federal legislation concerning solid/hazardous waste disposal from the passage of the Solid Waste Act of 1965 to present
Starts in 1965 with Solid Waste Disposal Act - was the starting point toward moving toward sanitary disposal
- a fumbling and slow process, reactionary
- gradual increase in research and grants
- recycling introduced in 1970, but no enforcement
- 1976 - first mention of hazardout waste - started to separate stuff in waste
- 1976 - recognize private right of action, title to garbage, use of incentives
- Develops federal response to emergencies, payment of compensation/housing/water, pentalties
- Increase hazardous waste provisions
- gradually more government control and public awareness/transparency, until recent pushback by businesses/states rights (“confidential business information”, delays, etc.)
Event: Love Canal, 1977-1978
Niagara, NY
trains trumped canals, so they buried barrels of waste there and covered it and sold it –> concerns about health, no easy legal relief
Superfunds
A large-scale cleanup by federal government paid for by taxes on polluters (and general taxes).
Provides compensation to harmed people
Assessed liability - anyone involved in the chain of commerce of the chemicals is liable
Come from a 1980 Act
- CT examples: willington (mercury), stratford (Asbestos, lead, cadmium on playground), brownfields (like Brass Mill Center in Waterbury
Hard to establish new sites
What role does a manifest play in the disposal of hazardous waste and who are the four (4) parties that sign the manifest?
Manifest = a set of forms, reports, and procedures designed to seamlessly track hazardous waste from the time it leaves the generator facility where it was produced, until it reaches the off-site waste management facility that will store, treat, or dispose of the hazardous waste.
The system allows the waste generator to verify that its waste has been properly delivered, and that no waste has been lost or unaccounted for in the process.
Parties:
- Generator
- Transporter
- Storage/Treatment
- Disposal
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Amendments
- More HW provisions (ex: no liquid HW in landfills)
- Modified EPA authority
- Required manifests
- Regulates underground storage tanks
1986 Sara Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
- Requires notification of chemicals used/stored on site (fire dept.,. health dept, etc.)
- certification of operators, haulers, inspectors
- national priority list*
- Established ATSDR*
National Priority List
Established by SARA (1986)
- Areas of highest risk to population: These places are the most hazardous facilities/places for people in those areas
Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry
- Conduct risk assessments starting with NPL and superfund sites
- Surveillance - disease registry - list of all people in vicinity of NPL sites
- No delegation to states to collect data/conduct surveillance –> CDC contracts w/state health departments to do this when monitoring/tracking
- located under CDC
1988 TOSCA - Toxic Substances Control Act
- requires assessment of new chemicals before they are put into use
- no need to release “confidential business information” - battle between EPA and companies
- Toxic Release Inventory - makes public aware of how much material is being released into air and water (even for compliant companies) - puts pressure on companies to comply/decrease - companies lobby to remove/modify this
Medical Waste:
Health Concerns
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C
Antibiotic Resistant Microorganisms
U.S. Generates a lot of this, and the disposal costs 6-20x more than noninfectious waste
Medical Waste:
Legislation
Ocean Ban Dumping Act (1988)
Medical Waste Tracking Act (1988)
State regs occurred as a result of other legislation, and dictate how to dispose
Tracking and disposal is at the same level as hazardous waste (by EPA)
Medical Waste Tracking Act (1988)
Defined medical waste
2 year trial (CT, NJ, NY, RI, PR) - legislature created a project to assess/fix the medical waste washing up on shores
Medical Waste:
Treatment and Destruction Methods
- Autoclaving
- Incineration
- Alternate treatment - microwave, chemical disinfection, enectro-thermal and steam-thermal
- Destroyed - ground or minced into small unrecognizable pieces prior to disposal at an authorized solid wate management facility
E-Waste: Definition
All waste from or caused by electronics, which is often toxic waste
E-Waste: Disposal Methods and Dangers of Disassembly
- Ship to other countries
- Domestic disposal
Dangers:
- lead (anemia, hearing loss, cognitive damage)
- melted plastics (pulmonary, CNS, liver and skin damage)
- cadmium (pulmonary, emphysema)
- mercury - CNS, neurological probs
- 44% disposed of
- 45% put into storage
- 11% recycled
List 3 environmental/public health problems that are controlled when a community changes from “open dumping” to dispose of garbage to the use of a “sanitary landfill”.
- Infestation of pests (rodents/insects) that cause disease
- Reduce surface water pollution
- ???
What are 2 problems associated with the use of a sanitary landfill?
- Groundwater pollution
2. ???
