ABSTRACT
In this chapter is discussion of what waste is and how a waste is characterized. Discussion of the characterization process as applied to soil, groundwater, and other materials, such as crude oil and debris, and the declassification process is also presented. A hazardous waste is defined as any waste or combination of wastes that poses a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or living organisms because it is nondegradable or persistent in nature, can be biologically magnified, can be lethal, or can cause or tend to cause detrimental cumulative effects. The Toxicity Characteristics rule is important because it includes a significant volume of previously unregulated waste into the federal hazardous waste management system. Hazardous materials can further be subdivided into specific categories based on toxicity, corrosivity, ignitability, and reactivity.
