ABSTRACT
The United States is in the midst of a very exciting period of change in the way hazardous wastes are managed. This has been brought about by a change in the philosophy of regulating hazardous wastes. This change has resulted in the passing of two statutes by the Congress in the mid 1980s which removed ambiguities and closed loopholes in the basic waste management laws. These statutes also showed a much needed strong support from Congress for the management of hazardous wastes. They provided the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with clear and specific direction from the legislation itself. However, complying with the regulations is shooting at a moving target as the laws are changed to make sure they are effective at protecting the people and the environment.
