Regulating Waste Management: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulates how municipalities collect and dispose of solid waste, and encourage waste reduction and recycling programs like this one.
Courtesy of www.morguefile.com.
January 23, 2013 | Stephanie Corrigan
The Case of Plastics proposes a hypothetical amendment to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Passed in 1976, RCRA is America’s main law governing hazardous and solid waste. Though RCRA does not currently contain stipulations about extended producer responsibility and plastics, it does authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate other aspects of waste management.
RCRA gives the EPA authority to control hazardous waste throughout its life span. Consequently, the EPA regulates the creation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. The idea of extended producer responsibility fits well into RCRA’s “cradle to grave” mentality.
The law also addresses solid waste, making it a natural fit for legislation relating to plastics. The current law provides a framework for handling nonhazardous solid wastes and regulates municipal solid-waste collection and disposal. It also emphasizes the reduction of waste.
Within the EPA the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response enforces RCRA. The office handles emergency responses to leaks, spills, and the improper disposal of hazardous materials. It is also responsible for long-term cleanups and efforts to reclaim areas heavily contaminated after a long period of misuse.
In addition to regulating hazardous and solid waste, the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response oversees the cleanup of oil leaks, spills, and the improper disposal of hazardous waste.
Courtesy of www.morguefile.com.
The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment, which it does partly through the enforcement of laws like RCRA. But the EPA also seeks to educate the public. In addition to information about laws and regulations the EPA website provides information about its initiatives and how individuals can help. Read more about EPA efforts to manage waste.