Hazardous Waste Management

Definition, Treatment and Disposal

From harvard university

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What is hazardous waste？

These can be in a form of a solid, liquid, contained gas or sludge.

Properties of these products contain harmful components that are too dangerous to be sent to the landfill, dumped into the sewer system or released into the atmosphere.

Improper release of hazardous waste may seriously threaten the environment and human health.

Harmful Chemicals in Your Home

Potential Hazardous Waste

Two terms

Hazardous waste

Used substance or by-product of some process or activity

Hazardous material

New or unused substance

Abandoned hazardous

materials become

hazardous wastes

Identified Characteristics of Hazardous Materials:

Products with the

words DANGER,

WARNING, or

CAUTION

on the product label

Identification of Hazardous Waste Common Symbols

Flammable

Environmental

Hazard

Poison or toxic

Corrosive

Oxidizer Explosive

Identification of Hazardous Waste Ignitable Waste:

Flashpoint less than 60 °C

Solid capable of igniting by friction, moisture absorption or spontaneous chemical changes and burns so it creates a hazard.

Ignitable compressed gas

Oxidizer

Examples of ignitable waste:

• aluminum powder, petroleum based solvents, gasoline, paints

Identification of Hazardous Waste Corrosive Waste:

Waste that can corrode steel or destroy other substances.

pH of waste is more than 10 and less than 2.

Examples of corrosive waste:

• Caustic or acidic cleaning solutions, laboratory chemicals, rust removers, drain cleaners, battery acids, and water treatment chemical

Identification of Hazardous Waste Reactive Hazardous Waste: Capable of detonating if heated.

Capable of detonating at standard temperature and pressure.

Reacts violently with water.

Forms explosive mixtures with air or water.

Is a cyanide or sulfide bearing compound that have the potential to form toxic gases, vapors or fumes between a pH of 2 and 12.5.

Generates toxic gases, vapors, or fumes when mixed with water.

Reactive Waste includes:

• Bleach, peroxidizable compounds, and alkaline metals such as sodium or potassium

Identification of Hazardous Waste Toxic Hazardous Waste:

Waste that exhibits the characteristic of toxicity if using the Toxic Characteristic Leachate Procedure (EPA test method 1311).

Is listed as a toxic substance in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) .

Manufacturer’s bottle has the word ‘toxic’

written on it or has the toxic symbol (skull and crossbones).

Examples:

Pesticides and cleaners

Two Additional Characteristics

Infectious or medical waste

Human tissue from surgery, hypodermic needles, microbiological material et generated by hospital and biological research centers

Radioactive waste

High level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants

Hazardous Waste Legislation

Mixture Rule

A mixture of a non-hazardous waste and a hazardous waste is still a hazardous waste

S. Hughes 2000

Hazardous Waste Management -- How did it begin? What events made humans aware of problems?

• Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" discussed the bioaccumulation of DDT (a

pesticide). DDT was discovered in the reproductive tissues of numerous species of

birds. This chemical causes thinning of eggshells such that when the female attempts

to brood her eggs she ends up crushing them. Ms. Carson's work described for the

first time how all things are connected, and clearly demonstrated that the Out of Site,

Out of Mind philosophy was no longer valid.

Love Canal is located near Niagara Falls, New York. During the 1940s and 1950s

indiscriminate dumping of hazardous wastes by companies such as Hooker Chemical

Co. occurred. Eventually the site was filled in and sold to the Niagara Falls School

District. Although instructed on the nature of the site, and told not to engage in

excavation or underground construction, the school district built an elementary school

in the area, and a neighborhood of houses grew around it - complete with basements.

In the 1970s strange odors could be detected indoors and people began experiencing

symptoms of chemically induced illnesses. Investigation by reporter Michael Brown

(he won the Pulitzer Prize for this) uncovered the truth and the U.S. government

purchased the entire Love Canal site.

• The Love Canal incident

About 150 million tons of hazardous waste (HW) generated each year in the U.S. Uncontrolled dumping in the past

Hazardous Waste Management

Brief History

Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965) SWDA

Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (1976) RCRA

Issues: (1) Advancement in technology; (2) Population growth in metropolitan areas

Attempted to address nation’s

disposal needs through research, training, investigations, surveys, demo projects.

Amended SWDA and set goals for protecting human health and environment, conserving energy and natural resources, reducing waste generation, managing waste in an environmentally-sound manner.

Established programs for solid waste, hazardous waste

“Cradle to Grave”

Hazardous Waste Law: RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act National law for governing the disposal of solid and

hazardous waste.

Under RCRA the Environmental Protection Agency is given primary responsibility in promulgating detailed regulations in governing the generation, transport, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Affects companies and institutions involved in the generation of hazardous waste.

Hazardous Waste Law: RCRA

Cradle to grave status

Hazardous waste is regulated from the moment it is created through the time of final disposal. Generator is forever responsible for their waste.

Hazardous Waste Law: RCRA

Legal actions will be taken against the individual or group who did not follow EPA regulations and guidelines.

Citations and fines will be awarded if the EPA finds any misuse.

Hazardous waste is regulated by:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Authority responsible for regulating all aspects

of hazardous waste

Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulation of hazardous waste transportation

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Regulation of chemicals that represent a

security threat.

Cradle-to-Grave Hazardous Waste Management

Generators A company or corporation that generates over

1000 kg of hazardous waste per month

If creating a hazardous waste, they must Fill out a notification of hazardous waste activity

Can store HW for up to 90 days

Must ship with a licensed HW transporter

Fill out a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest and ship the waste following DOT guidelines

Small generators (100-1000 kg/month) have more lenient rules

Cradle-to-Grave Hazardous Waste Management

Transporters

People that move HW

Must keep the Manifest with them at all times

Can hold HW for up to 10 days without a TSD

Must be prepared to clean up a spill

How Should I Manage My Hazardous Waste For Proper Transportation?

Have an EPA I.D. Number

Package, label, and mark all containers in accordance with Department of Transportation regulations prior to shipment

Use a hazardous waste transporter registered with DTSC [ 916-255-4368]

Verify driver license class

Ensure that your waste is delivered to a permitted facility or authorized recycler

Use a HW manifest

Provide any Land Disposal Restriction (LDR) documentations

Submit Generator copy of manifest to DTSC.

Transportation

HW moved by truck over:

Public highway routes (less than 160km long)

Small amount by rail

Almost none by air or inland waterways

HW contained in

Cargo tank trucks (7600-34000L) made of steel or aluminum alloy

Or 210 L drums

Manifest System

Monitor the journey of the waste from its point of origin to point of final disposal.

Record keeping document

Prepared by the generator of the hazardous waste

Signed when each time the waste changes hands

RCRA: Waste Tracking

• Manifest system

Who’s Responsible for

Completing the Manifest?

All parties must:

Sign and date the manifest

Check for accuracy and consistency in volumes and/or quantities

Verify names are legible, printed or typed, next to the signature

33

Completing the transfer form

Fill out the upper portion of the transfer form.

Name and contact info

Location of waste (building and room number)

Chemical(s) in waste, and their concentrations

For mixtures, list all constituents

If more room is needed, attach a separate list to the form

Type of container and physical state of the waste

Number of containers, their volume, and the total volume

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Haz Mat Transfer Request Form

Five options for HW management

Eliminate or reduce waste quantities

Reclaim and recycle the waste

Stabilize the waste

Incinerate the waste

Apply modern land disposal methods