Hazardous Waste Minimization

The EAHWM was developed to help Army decision makers find and evaluate viable minimization alternatives to current hazardous waste management practices. This tool has been widely accepted throughout the Army and is being assessed by the US. Navy and the Department of Defense General Supply Center. Law and policy makers in the government and private industry can also use the model to compare minimization alternatives to current hazardous waste management practices. They can then make decisions based on the total life cycle costs, annual savings, savings to investment ratio and the discounted payback period of the various alternatives. hazardous wastes are managed within the United States. In July 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] issued a set of regulations which began the process of implementing the 1984 amendments. Among the federal regulations, is a requirement that every generator of Hazpdous Wastes [HW] who produces in excess of 1,000 kilograndmonth certify that he or she has a Hazardous Waste Minimization [HAZMIN] program in operation when HWs are manifested. Biennial reports are required which describe efforts taken during the year to reduce the volume and toxicity of wastes generated, and the changes in volume and toxicity of waste achieved during the year.2 In October 1986, regulations were issued to clarify the status of small quantity generators of HW (100 to 1,000 ki l~gramdmonth) .~ Under the 1986 regulations, small quantity generators are now required to make a good faith effort to minimize HW generation and implement the best available treatment, storage, or disposal alternatives where economically feasible. In November 1986, the EPA issued the first set of restrictions regarding land disposal of HW.4 Under the No. vember restrictions, untreated and concentrated spent solvents were restricted from land disposal. Deadlines were extended for other solvent waste streams because at the time it was felt that sufficient nationwide capacity for treatment did not exist. The 1984 HSWA have identified a schedule for banning all hazardous wastes from land disposal by May 1990. In the broadest sense, hazardous waste minimization may be defined as the process of reducing the net outflow of HW effluents or air emissions from a given source (or generating process). Minimization would include any source reductions in the generation of hazardous wastesfemissions as well as any recycling activities which would result in either (1) a reduction id the total volume or quantity of hazardous waste(s) or (2) a reduction in the toxicity of the hazardous waste(s) generated. Treatment options such as incineration (thermal destruction), with effect ive ai r pollution controls, were considered viable techniques for hazardous waste minimization. Currently, the EPA does not categorize treatment under waste minimization. However, it is still widely practiced and is therefore included in the model. Waste minimization, therefore, might be achieved through any single, or combination of the following p r o c e s ~ e s . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~