Hazardous-waste nightmare. [Evaluation of legislative proposals]

Journal Article · Mon Apr 21 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Fortune; (United States)

OSTI ID:5378044

Alexander, T

Mr. Alexander points out that, even in the absence of Federal regulation, hazardous wastes would be a major problem for companies. Many have been driven to desperate measures even to find someplace to put the 125 billion pounds of such wastes that are produced each year - but that nobody wants nearby. EPA recently began promulgating final regulations implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed by Congress in 1976; these regulations will mandate technical standards for all future waste sites as well as a cradle to grave system for tracking major hazardous wastes to their ultimate disposition. But much of Washington's new interest seems to be a response to the charge that government too long overlooked the menace in old wastes; so, they are now turning to unusually primitive measures aimed at industry's past practice. The Justice Department has mobilized a fourteen-lawyer section to track down and prosecute companies for transgressions. Several bills are making their way through committees and, if enacted, could confront even very large industries with the choice of finding some new way of dealing with old wastes or going out of business. In discussing these proposals and touching briefly on the technical side of how wastes reach the aquifers, Mr. Alexander says that little is known about the extent of trace-chemical contamination - and, although it's time Washington ended its neglect of the problem, the extremely punitive measures are probably not called for.

• OSTI ID: 5378044
• Journal Information: Fortune; (United States), Vol. 101:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LEGAL ASPECTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
INDUSTRY
AQUIFERS
LEGISLATION
REGULATIONS
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
WASTE DISPOSAL
290300* - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)