Hazardous Waste

HAZARDOUS WASTE is industrial waste that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates as dangerous to the environment or the public health. The EPA mandates that hazardous waste be managed and disposed of using specific methods. There are five methods used to treat hazardous waste including being deposited in a deep well, a pond, a landfill, the ocean, or in an incinerator, detoxified, recycled, or reused.

Unfortunately, 68 percent of the hazardous waste in the United States is managed by disposal, 5 percent is burned, and 5 percent is recycled. Industrial facilities that produce hazardous waste are required to handle and store the waste properly and either treat it themselves, or transport it to other sites with legal permits to treat or dispose of the waste. Between ...