Hazardous Waste

What Are Landfills?

What is a landfill? Modern landfills are well-engineered and managed facilities for the disposal of solid waste. Landfills are located, designed, operated and monitored to ensure compliance with federal regulations. They are also designed to protect the environment from contaminants, which may be present in the waste stream. Landfills cannot be built in environmentally-sensitive areas, and they are placed using on-site environmental monitoring systems. These monitoring systems check for any sign of groundwater contamination and for landfill gas, as well as …

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Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste that is improperly managed poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), passed in 1976, was established to set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste. Need More Information on Hazardous Waste? The RCRA Orientation Manual provides introductory information on the solid and hazardous waste management programs under RCRA. What is a Hazardous Waste? The hazardous waste management program uses the term solid waste to denote something that is a waste. …

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Put a Lid on it!

Why are closed containers for hazardous waste so important? January 13, 2015 By Ken Trankle One of the most common RCRA violations I run across is the failure to “put a lid on it”.  If you are storing hazardous wastes, the container must be closed at all times unless you’re adding or removing waste from a container.  Mismanaged facilities will often leave drums open, allowing fumes to escape into the area and risking spills.  Other examples of poor hazardous waste …

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