Monday, 10 April 2017

Understanding The Challenges Of Universal Waste Maimi Dade Florida Officials Face

By Kimberly Fisher


People seem to be more aware than they used to be of the impact all kinds of trash has on the environment. Many individuals recycle everything they can and try to be good citizens of the planet. The Environmental Protection Agency deals with the issues that threaten our ability to inhabit the earth. Things like clean air and water and the materials that impact them are their top priority. In order to appreciate the problem of universal waste Maimi Dade and other metropolitan areas around the country face, you must first understand what it is.

Universal waste is differentiated from other kinds of wastes by category. The four categories are mercury filled materials like thermometers, mercury lamps including fluorescent, batteries, and pesticides. While they are considered hazardous, they are materials that private citizens are allowed to purchase and use every day. Although they are generally safe for public use, they should not be disposed of in the same manner as non-hazardous wastes.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, RCRA, was created by the federal government to regulate the handling, transportation, and disposal of these items. For its purposes, handlers fall into four categories. Two of them are described here. There are the small handlers with minimal regulations. The large handlers are entities such as industrial businesses, schools, governments, and generators of the products so defined under the RCRA guidelines.

Regulations governing these wastes vary from state to state. In addition to the four federal categories, some states have added items they deem hazardous. Louisiana and New Hampshire consider antifreeze a hazard. California and Colorado have added aerosol cans to their list. In Florida, pharmaceuticals are an additional category.

It should not be surprising that there are strict guidelines regarding the transportation of these materials. Whether they are being moved by air, water, rail, or roadway, anyone transporting them must be familiar with the laws and follow them to the letter. Even private citizens are asked about packages they send through the postal service or by private carriers. Regulations include the trucks that pick up recycled trash and transport it to a center.

The federal, state, and most local governments encourage everyone to recycle as much personal trash as possible. This is a great way to help manage the problem of potentially harmful material that can threaten public health and the environment. The EPA does want citizens to understand that recycling and reusing hazardous materials does not eliminate the danger.

These materials cannot just be taken to the local landfill and dropped off either. The land disposal restrictions program governs how these items must be handled when they are deposited on or in the ground. The EPA wants to ensure that drinking water is not compromised and toxic materials do not pose a threat to the general population.

Everyone loves the convenience of these things which we use all the time. Handling and disposing of them in a responsible manner is an obligation we have to the planet and to future generations.




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