Disposal of Non-hazardous, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste

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Disposal of Non-hazardous, Hazardous and Nuclear
Waste
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• 1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act
• Attempt by Congress to encourage better disposal
  of solid waste through grants to the states.
• 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
  RCRA
• Designed to primarily manage hazardous waste
  management, though solid waste is addressed as
  well.
• Amended several times since 1976, most
  significantly in 1984.
• 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
  HSWA
• Significantly expanded the scope and requirements
  of RCRA

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RCRA Goals

• Protect human health and the environment from the
  potential hazards of waste disposal
• Conserve energy and natural resources
• Reduce the amount of waste generated
• Ensure that wastes are managed in an
  environmentally sound manner

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RCRA Programs

• Solid waste management
• Hazardous waste management
• Underground tank management
• Medical waste

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RCRA Responsibilities For Hazardous Waste

• The generator is responsible for the material
  from cradle to grave
• Tracked using a uniform hazardous waste manifest
• Monitored by the EPA using generator ID numbers
  and permits
• Restricted from land disposal (under HSWA)

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Hazardous Waste

• A subset of solid waste
• Often generated by industrial processes
• Possess one or more of these characteristics
• Ignightability
• Corrosivity
• Reactivity
• Toxicity
• Or may be on a Source-Specific List

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Cradle to Grave

• EPA regulations address
• Generation
• Transportation
• Treatment
• Storage
• Disposal

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TSD facilities

• Treatment
• Storage
• Disposal

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Hazardous Waste Generators

• Hazardous waste generation is divided into
  separate categories
• Large quantity generators gt2,200 lbs/month
• Small quantity generators lt2,200 lbs/month
• Can only hold waste for 90 days
• Need permit to generate hazardous waste
• Transporters, permit required
• TSD facilities, permit required
• If generate lt220 lbs/month then no permit required

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Hazardous Waste Manifests

• To track waste, EPA requires generators to
  prepare a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
• Manifests must accompany waste where ever it
  travels
• This form, and its multiple copies, ties
  generator, all transporters, storage facilities,
  and disposal facilities with the waste
• Each individual handler must sign and mail copies
  of the manifest to EPA or authorized state
  authority

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The Solid Waste Problem

• Our per capita waste generation is over double
  that of any other country
• Current methods of managing and disposing are not
  expected to be adequate for anticipated future
  volumes
• Primary methods are landfilling, recycling and
  incineration

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Solid Waste Problem cont.

• We have a throw-away economy.
• Things are built to become obsolete
• Packaging amounts to half of all household waste
• We generate about 4-5 pounds of solid waste a day

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Incineration

• Possible alternative to landfills
• What are some advantages and disadvantages?

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Solid Waste Problem cont.

• Largest generators are industry, mining and
  agriculture
• Although agricultural and mine waste are usually
  disposed of on site, the is a potential for
  pollution of groundwater and surface runoff

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NIMBY Implications

• It is difficult to find sites for new landfills,
  materials recovery facilities and recycling
  centers
• There is a trend toward fewer and bigger
  landfills
• All are heavily regulated

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NIMBY Implications cont.

• Moving to rail based regional landfills
• Examples Seneca Meadows for NYC
• Utah for Los Angeles
• http//www.lacsd.org/swaste/Facilities/MRF_TS/PHMR
  F/WastebyRailProgram.htm
• Largest landfill is in LA County, Puente Hills
  landfill in the San Gabriel valley

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Seneca Meadows Landfill, Waterloo NY
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Puente Hills Landfill, LA County
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Medical Waste

• Any solid material generated in the diagnosis,
  treatment, or immunization of human beings or
  animals, in related research, biologicals
  production, or testing

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Radioactive Materials and Waste

• Nuclear energy and medical facilities are the
  largest users of radioactive materials
• Practically every industry uses radioisotopes in
  some form
• EPA and DOE are involved in regulation
• Atomic Energy Act regulates the management and
  disposal of radioactive materials
• Exposure increases the risk of cancer and genetic
  defects

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Radioactive Waste

• High level waste high radioactivity, long
  half-life, low volume
• Low level waste low radioactivity, short
  half-life, high volume
• Transuranic waste low radioactivity, long
  half-life, low volume

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High Level Radioactive Waste

• Plutonium and uranium from energy plants, defense
  industry, and defense department
• Requires heavy shielding and long term isolation
• DOE is in the process of constructing a long term
  depository at Yucca Mountain
• DOD is in the process of constructing a long term
  depository (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico
• The 70 nuclear power plants in the US had
  generated 20,000 metric tons of spent fuel by
  1990
• Currently being stored at generation sites