Hazardous Waste Management: In Whose Backyard?

First published in 1994, as part of the AAAS Selected Symposia Series. National strategies to minimize pollution, including that from hazardous waste, are evolving in both the United States and Canada. Recent federal hazardous waste regulations in the United States, promulgated under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), encourage the states to develop their own waste management programs, patterned after federal specifications; some states have developed progressive options. Canadian hazardous waste management programs originate in the provinces. However, the federal government is increasingly involved in developing new treatment technologies, guidelines for consistent management, and control of waste across political boundaries. The authors of this volume find that disposal is still the most common practice for handling hazardous waste in both countries, despite the potential for alternative methods such as industrial process redesign for waste reduction, waste detoxification, recycling, or incineration. Nonetheless, some waste will remain. Sound disposal site selection criteria are prerequisite for industry and government credibility in site selection. Only after accountability is established and recognized will the public lose symptoms of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome. Even so, public involvement in site selection in these countries should be expected for a site to be accepted. All the while, the three parties-- industry, government, and the public-- must balance the risk of potential waste hazards with the cost of avoiding adverse effects.