Hazardous waste

2. Hazardous wastes may
be:
 liquid, solid or gas
 toxic
 highly corrosive
 explosive

3. Examples:
 Insulation, plastics,
lubricants
 Pesticides
 Cleaners
 Metals - lead, mercury, zinc
 radioactive wastes.

4. U.S. did not address hazardous
waste issues until 1980’s.
safe disposal is
expensive
 companies dumped it
illegally to save $$$.

5. Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980
Commonly referred to as the
Superfund Act.

6. GOAL:
Nationwide program
addressing serious threats
from hazardous wastes.
Made polluters pay for
cleanup.

7. Superfund gave EPA the right to:
to
Sue responsible parties for
the release or potential
release of hazardous wastes
and make them clean up or
pay for clean up of the site.

8. Potential Responsible Parties:
 Current and former site
owners
 Operators of the site
 Anyone who disposed of or
produced waste found at the
site

9. Superfund Trust Fund –
financed by taxes on Chemical
and petroleum industries
What happens when no
responsible party can be
identified?
Clean-up costs are taken from
8.5 billion Superfund Trust
Fund.

10. The Story of the Love Canal in
Niagara Falls, NY
 HookerChemical Co., City of
Niagara Falls & U.S. Army
dumped toxic chemicals into
abandoned canals.
 Schools and homes were built
over the dumpsite.

11. Love Canal Story Continued:
 1976heavy rains caused
chemicals to leak, rise to surface
and seep into basements.
 1978– 1980, federal emergency
declared – 950 homes evacuated

12. Love Canal Story Continued:
 Dumpsite covered with a clay
or synthetic cap and special
drainage system
 Hooker Chemical Co
reimbursed EPA Superfund
$128 million; U.S. Army $8
million

14. 1. Produce
less of it

15. 2. Reuse – Ex.
Dow Chemical
reuses a
solvent several
times.

16. 3. Biological treatment
– bacteria used to
break down
hazardous waste into
harmless products.

17. 4. Physical Treatment
– using physical
processes to remove
hazardous wastes.
Ex. Evaporation,
distillation

18. 5. Chemical
Treatment –
using chemicals
to make wastes
harmless

19. 6. Deep-well
injection: wastes
pumped deep into
ground & absorbed
into rock below
groundwater.

20. 7. Drums buried
underground
What’s wrong with this
picture?

21. 8. ship to poorer
states or
developing
countries with less
stringent laws.

22. 9. Incinerate

23. Hazardous Wastes at
Home:
Collection sites for
chemicals, oils, batteries
(for recycling)
FYI - 2 L of old oil can
make 1,000,000 L of fresh
water undrinkable!

24. End Slide Show!