ABSTRACT
Over the years, industry, government, and the general public have become more aware of the need to respond to hazardous waste problems which seem to be increasing each year. Over the past two decades Congress passed key environmental legislation strictly targeted at the hazardous waste industry. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed to better track the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste from “cradle-to-grave.” The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund, was passed in 1980 to provide liability, compensation, cleanup, and emergency response for hazardous substances released into the environment and the cleanup of inactive hazardous waste sites. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) addressed several issues including protection for workers engaged in hazardous waste operations.
