The Effects of Hazardous Waste

The Effects of Hazardous Waste
Name
TLMT University
Professor 
October 23, 2022
The Effects of Hazardous Waste
Introduction
The growing population and industrialization have led to hazardous waste that is becoming a problem for humans and society. What is not often thought of is the source of these problems and how they are being regulated. As manufacturing operations expand, byproducts of solid, liquid, and gaseous emissions are produced. Some of these wastes could be dangerous to human health and the environment; therefore, effective treatment strategies are required (White et al., 2019). Hazardous wastes have at least one of the following characteristics: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, or toxicity. The management procedure is based on the characterization and classification of the various wastes, their toxicity to humans, as well as risk management to control the effects of hazardous waste on the environment and human health. Hence, hazardous waste management focuses on reducing negative effects on people and the environment by using unique handling, treatment, and disposal methods for hazardous wastes (Wagner, 2017). Let’s take a look at historical incidents that are directly related to hazardous waste, how the government reacted to these incidents, and what is being done to move forward.
Hazardous Waste Definition
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) defines hazardous wastes as any waste or waste combination that poses a significant risk to human health or living things because they are non-degradable or continuous, can be biologically amplified, can be lethal, and might otherwise have the potential to cause or are likely to produce cumulative negative impacts (White et al., 2019).
Historical Incidents of Hazardous Waste
Local laws in the United States have traditionally governed solid waste disposal. According to municipal and regional planning, domestic and business waste was to be buried or burned at landfills conveniently located outside of metropolitan centers. The quick increase in national consumption and suburban growth during the wealthy post-war era highlighted its limitations (Wagner, 2017). The risks associated with the unchecked discharge of industrial effluents and significant oil spills in Santa Barbara into surface water were widely acknowledged. Large amounts of chemicals were applied to remedy the leak. However, it turned out that these chemicals were highly harmful to aquatic life. By the middle of the 1960s, the government declared that solid waste collection and disposal activities were one of the most significant and underappreciated sources of environmental contamination that impacted the health of the general people. Throughout the 20th century, municipal and industrial wastewater discharges into surface waters have been of a problem (Ehrig, 2018). The legal approach to water contamination changed from a law nuisance to regulation over the first quarter of the 20th century. State authorities addressed the situation, but more federal intervention was required due to its transboundary character.
How the Government Reacted to these Incidents
RCRA was created to control how harmful waste from industrial activity is handled and disposed of. T...