Hazardous waste incineration at sea: EPA decision making on risk

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Risk Anal.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1988.tb01190.x· OSTI ID:6294967

Ditz, D W

This paper critiques the Environmental Protection Agency's assessment of risk for hazardous waste incineration at sea. It reviews operational and transportation risks and considers alternative approaches for managing chlorinated organic hazardous wastes. It concludes that depending on the scale of the program, ocean incineration will either contribute little to the overall management of this waste stream or else it will engender significant risks, especially in the coastal environment. Furthermore, past assessments on the part of EPA have tended to understate the risks of incineration at sea while simultaneously holding out the promise of the technology as a commercial-scale management option. Finally, this paper observes that the Western European countries that pioneered incineration in the North Sea are now finding practical alternatives. It is recommended that waste reuse, on-site treatment, and techniques of waste reduction provide viable alternatives and obviate the need for incineration at sea.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6294967
• Journal Information: Risk Anal.; (United States), Journal Name: Risk Anal.; (United States) Vol. 8:4; ISSN RIAND
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
COASTAL WATERS
COMBUSTION
DECISION MAKING
DIOXIN
ELEMENTS
ENERGY FACILITIES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EUROPE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INCINERATORS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MARITIME TRANSPORT
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
OXIDATION
POLLUTION
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSPORT
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTES
WESTERN EUROPE