What Is Toxic Waste Dumping?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toxic waste is a hazardous material and toxic materials are harmful when ingested or absorbed. Whenever toxic waste is disposed of in a way that is out of compliance with the EPA's rules and regulations, this is considered toxic waste dumping.

EPA Regulations

Since toxic waste is a form of hazardous waste the EPA has rules about the proper way to dispose of toxic substances. Each state has an environmental department that also helps to carry out the mission of regulating hazardous waste.

Toxic Dumps

Some toxic materials are disposed of in town dumps to avoid paying fees for transporting materials and using waste facility services. Regulation for toxic dumps began in 1976 and some landfills are considered toxic because the toxins were not cleaned up after this monitoring began.

Infamous Dumping

Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York, was used as a toxic waste dump site in the 20th century by a chemical and plastics company. Another area known as "cancer alley," located outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is an infamous toxic waste site. Many regions have been affected by toxic waste dumping.

Superfund

Toxic dump sites spread throughout the United States helped Congress to enact the Superfund Act in 1983 to confront the problem of toxic waste dumping.

Cleanup

Cleanup procedures for toxic waste include "cap and contain", incineration, chemical washing, or chemical neutralization. The EPA also tries to improve laws to prevent toxic waste dumping from taking place.

References

• Characteristic Waste: Toxicity
• Toxic Waste
• Cleaning Up Toxic Waste