Risk-Based Waste Classification in California

Risk-Based Waste Classification in California
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 1999-08-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309065445

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) of the State of California Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of complying with the Regulatory Structure Update. The Regulatory Structure Update is a comprehensive review and refocusing of California's system for identifying and regulating management of hazardous wastes. As part of this effort, the DTSC proposes to change its current waste classification system that categorizes wastes as hazardous or nonhazardous based on their toxicity. Under the proposed system there would be two risk-based thresholds rather than the single toxicity threshold currently used to distinguish between the wastes. Wastes that contain specific chemicals at concentrations that exceed the upper threshold will be designated as hazardous; those below the lower threshold will be nonhazardous; and those with chemical concentrations between the two thresholds will be "special" wastes and subject to variances for management and disposal. The proposed DTSC system combines toxicity information with short or long-term exposure information to determine the risks associated with the chemicals. Under section 57004 of the California Health and Safety Code, the scientific basis of the proposed waste classification system is subject to external scientific peer review by the National Academy of Sciences, the University of California, or other similar institution of higher learning or group of scientists. This report addresses that regulatory requirement.

Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers

Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 135
Release: 2007-09-22
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309108098

President Carter's 1980 declaration of a state of emergency at Love Canal, New York, recognized that residents' health had been affected by nearby chemical waste sites. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, enacted in 1976, ushered in a new era of waste management disposal designed to protect the public from harm. It required that modern waste containment systems use "engineered" barriers designed to isolate hazardous and toxic wastes and prevent them from seeping into the environment. These containment systems are now employed at thousands of waste sites around the United States, and their effectiveness must be continually monitored. Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers assesses the performance of waste containment barriers to date. Existing data suggest that waste containment systems with liners and covers, when constructed and maintained in accordance with current regulations, are performing well thus far. However, they have not been in existence long enough to assess long-term (postclosure) performance, which may extend for hundreds of years. The book makes recommendations on how to improve future assessments and increase confidence in predictions of barrier system performance which will be of interest to policy makers, environmental interest groups, industrial waste producers, and industrial waste management industry.

Hazardous Waste Management

Hazardous Waste Management
Author: Michael D. LaGrega
Publisher: Waveland Press
Total Pages: 1231
Release: 2010-07-30
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1478609346

Hazardous waste management is a complex, interdisciplinary field that continues to grow and change as global conditions change. Mastering this evolving and multifaceted field of study requires knowledge of the sources and generation of hazardous wastes, the scientific and engineering principles necessary to eliminate the threats they pose to people and the environment, the laws regulating their disposal, and the best or most cost-effective methods for dealing with them. Written for students with some background in engineering, this comprehensive, highly acclaimed text does not only provide detailed instructions on how to solve hazardous waste problems but also guides students to think about ways to approach these problems. Each richly detailed, self-contained chapter ends with a set of discussion topics and problems. Case studies, with equations and design examples, are provided throughout the book to give students the chance to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment and containment technologies.

Transcript

Transcript
Author: United States. Office of Solid Waste
Publisher:
Total Pages: 588
Release: 1977
Genre: Recycling (Waste, etc.)
ISBN: