You may be surprised at how many standard household items actually become household hazardous waste (HHW) when you are done using them. From wood stain to old fluorescent bulbs to your old refrigerator, these items can’t just be thrown out with your regular trash collection.
For commercial and industrial operations, the problem becomes even larger. There are many materials that can contaminate soil, air, and water when improperly disposed of. Hazardous waste is challenging to manage and dispose of properly. The process involves any necessary treatments, storage, and final disposal. To solve this, hazardous waste facilities are located in communities across the United States.
In 1976, Congress enacted a comprehensive federal law called the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to govern the management of hazardous solid waste. The goal of the law was to protect human health and the environment. It has since been updated and amended to address changes in the way hazardous waste is classified and handled.
Today, there is a growing amount of waste that must be disposed of each year all according to these guidelines. Rising disposal costs and new environmental regulations can make it challenging to address these needs in a community. When a hazardous waste disposal site is built, the main goals are to manage the waste safely according to RCRA guidelines and to keep it running in a cost-effective way.
Hazardous disposal sites are crucial within a community to protect the environment and the people living there. Without such facilities, there would be an increase in environmental contamination and disease spread due to illegal dumping of hazardous materials.
What exactly is hazardous waste? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines it as “any waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment.” It describes waste in various forms, including liquids, solids, gases, and sludges.
It is crucial to keep hazardous waste from being dumped illegally. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed that living near an illegal dump site increases the risk of cancer and congenital malformation, especially if fires occur frequently at the site.
Recycling is one part of the solution. The EPA reports that over 1.5 million tons of hazardous waste are managed by recycling each year. This is waste that would otherwise be dumped into landfills with the potential to contaminate nearby soil, air, or water.
The main benefits to having hazardous disposal and recycling sites within communities are environmental: reducing pollution, energy use, the consumption of raw materials, and the volume of waste. But there are also economic benefits.
Managing hazardous waste within business operations is costly. You need extra staff, specialized equipment, and careful procedures to ensure the safety of employees and the surrounding community. Having access to nearby hazardous disposal sites eliminates the need to handle this type of waste in-house, making it cheaper and safer to operate.
Disposal of hazardous waste requires specialized equipment and techniques. There are several steps to properly dispose of this type of waste:
When hazardous waste arrives at the facility, it is first separated into categories, including flammable, corrosive, reactive, and toxic. This ensures that each type of waste is handled correctly and that appropriate safety measures are taken.
Hazardous waste must be stored correctly to prevent accidental spills or leakage. A hazardous waste facility uses tanks and specialized containers to secure the waste. Once the waste is separated, it is moved to the appropriate container until it can be recycled, incinerated, treated, or disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill.
There are treatment methods for each type of waste, including incineration, solidification, chemical treatment, or biological treatment. The goal of these treatments is to render the waste less harmful and make it safe for handling, transport, and eventual disposal in a landfill.
Any waste that can’t be treated or recycled will be disposed of in specially designed landfills. These landfills have procedures to contain and isolate the waste from the surrounding environment, including liner systems and coverings to contain leakage and exposure.
Hazardous waste disposal sites must comply with all federal and local regulations. They are monitored and inspected on a regular basis through leachate and groundwater monitoring, along with testing of gas emissions and nearby surface water. This helps ensure that there is regulatory compliance and to check for any needed upgrades or equipment replacement.
Some people may have concerns about the proximity of a hazardous waste disposal site. But having a well-managed facility in your community offers many benefits. Not only does it reduce illegal dumping of hazardous materials, it also increases community awareness of the need for proper disposal and recycling.
Many hazardous waste facilities offer resources and education to local business operators to increase their understanding of best practices for hazardous waste disposal. This helps prevents contamination of a community’s water supply and reduces the amount of air pollution in the area.
Discount Dumpster is committed to handling all types of waste with the best environmental practices. We provide waste solutions for hazardous waste to ensure that it is handled and disposed of in compliance with all necessary regulations. Contact us to day to learn more about our eco-friendly waste management services and all your disposal options.
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