ABSTRACT
Key to achieving the goal of protecting human health and the environment is a working knowledge of applicable regulations. The regulation of hazardous waste is based on two major pieces of federal legislation: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). To the extent that HSWA amends RCRA, it is safe to say that the federal hazardous waste management program is authorized by one federal law: RCRA. While RCRA provides general objectives and timetables, it does not detail the manner in which objectives are to be met. Instead, the law charges Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the responsibility of developing and implementing programs that are consistent with the intent of Congress. In addition to authorizing the EPA to administer the RCRA program, Congress also provided via the statute the opportunity for state governments to develop their own waste management systems.
