LOs from Solid and Hazardous waste

1. Audit student waste on a daily basis, including the fate of all residential waste in Athens-Clarke County

• tudents generate various types of waste such as paper, food waste, plastics, and yard trimmings, which fall under Subtitle D (non-hazardous waste).

• In Athens-Clarke County, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is collected, sent to transfer stations, and either landfilled, recycled, composted, or sent for waste-to-energy (WTE) processing.

• The region has limited curbside recycling access (59%) compared to the national average (70%), suggesting a large portion of recyclable materials might still go to landfill.

2. Extrapolate quantity to annual quantity and compare to the waste produced by the average American. Put these amounts into an historical context.

• MSW stabilized at ~1,000 pounds per person per year by the 1990s.

• If a student generates ~3 pounds/day, that’s about 1,095 pounds/year, which aligns with the national average.

• Historically, prior to the 1976 RCRA, waste disposal involved open dumping, leading to groundwater contamination and public health hazards. RCRA introduced sanitary landfills to manage solid waste more safely.

3. Describe the hazards of unregulated waste disposal.

Pre-RCRA disposal methods caused:

• Groundwater and air pollution

• Health hazards (e.g., toxic chemical exposure)

• Rodent/insect infestations

• Spread of disease

• Decreased property values

• Debris dispersion in surrounding environments

4. Outline Subtitles Cfrom the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976).

Subtitle C: Regulates hazardous waste with a “cradle-to-grave” system involving identification, tracking, treatment, storage, and disposal standards.

4. Outline Subtitle D from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976).

Subtitle D: Regulates non-hazardous waste (e.g., MSW, industrial non-hazardous waste, construction waste). It includes technical landfill requirements, landfill siting, and environmental justice considerations.

1980 – CERCLA (Superfund):

• Created federal funding ($1.6B initially) for emergency clean-up of hazardous waste sites.

• Introduced retroactive and joint liability for Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs).

1984 – HSWA (Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments):

• Focused on groundwater protection.

• Set stricter landfill standards.

• Included small quantity generators under regulation.

• Created underground storage tank program.

1986 – SARA (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act):

• Increased funding.

• Introduced Title III – EPCRA, which required community right-to-know reporting and emergency planning for toxic chemicals.

6. Assess the Subtitle C Cradle to Grave Process for handling hazardous wastes.

The Cradle-to-Grave system ensures accountability through:

1. Identification of hazardous waste.

2. Tracking waste from creation to disposal using a manifest system.

3. Ensuring Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facilities meet national standards.

4. Requiring post-closure care for TSDs.

5. Holding operators financially responsible for any releases.

7. Follow a Superfund site remediation from identification and use of HRS to whether it gets put on the NPL and is remediated.

• Sites are assessed using the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) based on:

  • Waste type

  • Proximity to water and populations

• If the score is high, it’s added to the National Priorities List (NPL).

• Remediation is conducted and funded by the EPA and/or Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs).

• Example sites: Love Canal (NY) and Times Beach (MO) were added to the NPL due to severe contamination and public health threats.

8. Discover the Superfund site that was remediated in Athens, GA.

• The Luminous Processes site in Athens, GA, is a Superfund site.

• It involved radioactive contamination from past manufacturing.

• Remediation occurred under CERCLA/Superfund, and the site has been successfully managed.