Page 55 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

SOLID WASTE GENERATION AROUND THE WORLD 33

■ In consultation with the Secretary of Defense, EPA is required to propose regula-
tions identifying when military munitions become hazardous waste, and providing
for the safe transportation and storage of such waste.
■ Federally owned wastewater-treatment works are not to be considered hazardous
waste facilities if most of the water treated consists of domestic sewage, and certain
other specified requirements are met. Introduction of a hazardous waste into a fed-
erally owned wastewater-treatment works is prohibited.

2.3.9 LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 1996

Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996 provided regulatory flexibility for land
disposal of certain wastes as amendments to RCRA. This act exempts hazardous waste
from RCRA regulation if it is treated to a point where it no longer exhibits the char-
acteristic that made it hazardous, and is subsequently disposed in a facility regulated
under the Clean Water Act or in a Class I deep injection well regulated under the Safe
Drinking Water Act. A second provision of the bill exempted small landfills located in
arid or remote areas from groundwater-monitoring requirements, provided there is no
evidence of groundwater contamination.

2.4 Solid Waste Generation

around the World

2.4.1 INTRODUCTION

This section provides a bird’s-eye view of the solid waste generation trends around the
world. This analysis is useful for several key reasons

■ Data on solid waste generation provides the public with a viewpoint on the solid
waste problem.
■ For a solid waste manager or engineer confronted with a new waste stream, national
figures and trends may be useful in determining how other facilities or industries
have managed similar waste streams.
■ The data provides a gauge to judge the environmental performance of public, reg-
ulatory, and advocacy groups around the world.

Governments in various nations have established and implemented numerous pro-
grams to reduce solid waste levels, but do not have a clear understanding of the quan-
tities and compositions that individual companies contribute to the overall levels.
Compounding this problem, there is no single source for data regarding solid waste
generation and developing a comprehensive picture can be somewhat challenging. An
improved understanding of the solid waste generation rates and characteristics of indi-
vidual companies and industries provides insights for communities and government