Hazardous waste management, U.S. and international perspectives

Catalog description

Industrial and economic development bring increased quality of life, but also increased waste generation and need for effective waste management. The majority of severely contaminated sites in the United States have a common characteristic: they were created by unsafe industrial and hazardous waste management before the passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA often refers to the statute, regulations, and federal program which have been implemented to ensure a national, uniform, safe approach to hazardous waste management. This course will explore the many components of RCRA that are utilized to ensure the safe and effective management of hazardous waste, from “cradle to grave.” Rapid economic development, and coincident increased waste generation, is currently occurring elsewhere in the world; therefore, this course will also include discussion of the current status of waste generation, and hazardous waste management within developing countries and economies.