Hazardous Waste Specialist

What is hazardous waste?

EPA defines a hazardous waste as any substance that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic – broad definition covers 354 million tons of material produced annually

Chemical industry – 60 percent Electroplating/metal finishing – 20 percent Other sources (military, small business,

households) – 10 percent

Where does it come from?

Air pollution devices such as scrubbers capture large amounts of hazardous waste

Wastewater treatment plants produce toxic sludge

Ironically, pollution prevention measures create new, more concentrated wastes

Federal Response and Legislation

Passage of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976 signaled the federal government’s entry into the regulation of hazardous waste disposal

RCRA was amended in 1984 for hazardous and solid waste provisions that included an increase in the number of businesses under regulation, schedule to ban land disposal of 400 hazardous chemicals, and a process for classifying and determining hazardous materials

Superfund, CERCLA, and SARA are all federal legislations focusing on regulating hazardous waste disposal

Job Opportunitieso EPA’s ten regions have

divisions charged with administration and enforcement of Superfund and RCRA

o Research positions regarding treatment technology, toxicity of waste streams, waste minimization technology

o Governmentt employers of hazardous waste professions include: OSHA, Dept. of Defense, Energy, and Interior, and Army Corps of Engineers

Job OpportunitiesoOften works in conjunction with federal, state, and local governments

Consulting FirmsoDuties include initial feasibility studies, testing, lab analysis, designing solutions, actual cleanup, and coordinating public participation.

Some firms take on a company’s entire waste problem while others may be called in to analyze one of several hazardous waste streams

In a developing field such as hazardous waste management experience and skills are often obtained on the job and non-technical skills such as project management, communications, and efficiency are valued

Job OpportunitiesState Governmento States are continuing to do the federal

government’s bidding by serving as implementers and enforcers of federal environmental statutes

o States often pass additional hazardous waste legislations, Illinois is currently phasing in a ban on land disposal of liquid hazardous wastes

o State formulate their own superfund programs to clean up sites not listed on the National Priority List

o They take the lead in developing emergency response plans in the event of toxic releases.

o Minnesota provides on-site and telephone waste reduction consultation, a waste reductions resource bank, and research grants for waste reduction projects

Local Governmento Hazardous waste remains a local issue

because its located in our towns and counties.

o Includes programs by local departments and agencies to take inventory of abandoned facilities to discover contaminants, investigation of fly-by-night dumping, and violators acquiring old buildings and stuffing them with hazardous wastes.

o Job titles include: environmental control samplers, director of toxic pollution control, and environmental coordinators

o County governments such as Washtenaw County in Michigan are establishing emergency response teams, collecting household hazardous waste, and starting groundwater mapping projects.

Job Opportunities (private sector)

Overwhelmingly a private sector affair Divided into two categories

- Companies that produce their own waste and dispose of it

- Companies that transport, treat and dispose of another company’s waste

Shift to pollution prevention has leveled off expenditures at $8.6 billion in 1996

Job Opportunities (Non-profit) Started with Lois Gibbs, a resident of Loves Canal, New York She went on to form the Citizen’s Clearinghouse for Hazardous Wastes,

Inc., with 5 offices nationwide National organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the

Sierra Club, Environmental Action, Inc., and the National Wildlife Federation work extensively on haz. waste issues

Increased strengthening of grass roots organizations

Education and Skills

People with technical backgrounds such as chemistry, engineering, and hydrology are in great demand

Minimum B.S. or B.A in environmental science, chemistry, engineering or a specific specialty is needed

Graduate and technical degrees focused on hydrology, toxicology, public health, economics, public policy, or statistics are also important

Education and Skills

Opportunities for field work occur on the job Once an applicant has field work, it is

possible to become certified as a hazardous waste manager and rise quickly

Salary

Starting salaries vary widely: hazardous waste engineers $28,000-35,000; technicians $19,000-25,000; supervisors $32,000-42,000

For more experienced technical personnel - $45,000+; senior managers $75,000-100,000+