Hazardous Wastes

Hazardous waste discarded solid waste/liquid material - contains 1 or more of listed 39 compounds, catches fire easily, explosive, corrosive 6 billion tons produced ; 23 tons/person

Does not include….. Radioactive waste, mining waste, oil drilling wastes, cement kiln dust, waste from factories less than 220 lbs/ month

High waste approach - waste management resulting waste management - reduces environmental harm - bury, burn or ship them to another country

Low waste approach - preventing pollution and waste most waste viewed as potential resources ; reuse as many things as possible; recycle and compost; chemically or biologically treat or increase waste ; bury in landfills

Solutions….deal with hazardous waste

Goals..low waste approach reduce waste / pollution ; reuse ; recycle/ compost ; chemically treat/ incinerate waste ; bury; save energy/ resources; reduce effects of mining; improve water, health, safety; decrease cost of pollution control

Example - 3M Minnesota Mining Company - began a pollution pays program redesigned equipment, used fewer hazardous raw materials, make more non-pollution products

Solutions: reduce waste/pollution decrease consumption ; redesign manufacturing processes - less material; design products that produce less pollution; less hazardous cleaning products ; products -easily reduced,recycled,repaired; reduce unnecessary packaging

Detoxification of hazardous waste bioremidiation -biological treatment of hazardous material - bacteria

Land disposal Deep well disposal - liquid hazardous wastes are pumped under pressure through a pipe below groundwater so no contamination ponds,lagoons,pits- lined with heavy plastic

Sweden-drums in concrete and buried underground

Above ground storage no contamination of ground water

Export to other countries 98% of US hazardous waste to Mexico and Canada

Candy question So far we discussed several ways to deal with hazardous waste….list 2 ways!

Examples of hazardous wastes And their effects

Exposure to lead symptoms Stomach cramp Aggressive behavior Irritability Fatigue Memory loss Exposure in kids can cause long term behavior problems, lower IQ, learning difficulties, growth delays

Dioxins - chlorinated hydrocarbons By-products of incineration of chlorine and hydrocarbons…no common uses! reproductive system, promotes cancer by activating DNA already damaged by other carcinogens

Chlorine/chlorine containing plastics, solvents, paper and pulp bleaching can be phased out - steam cleaning, citrus based solvents Germany - chlorine free paper

Candy questions Why are plumbing pipes now made of PVC or other plastics or copper vs the old metal pipes? Why is chlorine used to make paper?

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act EPA - identify hazardous waste and set standards for management. Need Permit if industry is storing, treating, disposing more than 220 lbs. “Cradle to grave” system - keep track from point of origin to proper disposal

Superfund Act (CERCLA) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act identify and cleanup abandoned hazardous waste dumps clean ups = “polluter pays” 1360 sites, already cleaned

Superfund sites 10,000 primary sites - $1, trillion toxic military dumps - $ billion, years

Solution- low waste society “NO AWAY” ‘DILUTION IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION’ produce less, reuse, recycle material reduce production of solid and hazardous waste