apes module 54 - hazardous waste

• hazardous waste can be liquid, solid, gas, or sludge
• hazardous waste requires proper disposal and specially trained personnel
• the resource conservation and recovery act gives the EPA authority to control hazardous waste "cradle-to-grave"
• the EPA can control hazardous waste via generation, transportation, treatment, and storage
• the RCRA was amended in 1984 and again in 1986; these amendments focused on waste minimization and allowed the EPA to to address environmental problems from underground tanks storing petroleum
• the CERCLA is the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act
• the CERCLA provides a federal "superfund" to clean up hazardous waste sites, accidental spills, and emergency releases
• under the CERCLA, the EPA has the power to force cleanup of contaminated sites by responsible parties
• under the CERLA, the EPA recovers costs from financially viable individuals
• the EPA created the brownfields program in 1995
• the brownfields program was created to clean up contaminated sites such as old factories, industrial areas, and waterfronts
• the brownfield program is considered inadequate because it lacks legal liability
• two forms of bioremediation are phytoremediation and mycoremediation
• phytoremediation

  use of plants and soil microbes to reduce contamination
• mycoremediation

  use of fungi to reduce contamination