Lesson 92: Hazardous Waste Disposal
In this lesson,
we will learn about how hazardous waste is usually disposed of and look at some
ways prior mismanagement of hazardous waste is being dealt with today.
Hazardous waste has been disposed of on land via deep-well injection,
surface impoundments and landfills.
Unfortunately, this was not well managed initially, leading to leaking and also
illegal dumping of waste. In New York State, Hooker Chemical did not dispose of
hazardous waste correctly, dumping waste into an abandoned canal called Love
Canal near Niagara Falls. They filled it with hazardous waste and covered it
over with a clay cap. The company then sold the land to a local school saying
that there were chemicals on the property.
However, rain seeped through, spreading waste and chemicals in
every direction. After public outrage and many lawsuits, Hooker Chemical paid
out over $233 million via its parent company Occidental Petroleum.
There were over 75,000 active industrial sites in the United States in
the early 1980s, many of which contained toxic materials. Some have been closed
while others still have to be cleaned up. Many cases of contamination were only
discovered after people experienced extended unexplainable sicknesses.
Dealing with prior mismanagement issues involves:
- clean up of prior landfills and mistakes
- regulating the handling and disposal of wastes today
- and reducing hazardous waste being produced.