Global Action Network (GAN) on.... ============================= H A Z A R D O U S W A S T E ============================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --> [Send the 1-line message GET GAN-RSRC HZRD-WST ACTIV-L to] [LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET for a copy of this file. ] --> [Send GET ACTIV-L ARCHIVE ACTIV-L to above address for a ] [listing with brief descriptions of other files available] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ________________________________________________________ | CONTENTS: | | | | Background Information | | THE HAZARDOUS WASTE PROBLEM | | REDUCTION, REUSE, RECOVERY AND RECYCLING OF WASTE | | CURRENT METHODS OF WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL | | GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION | | LEGISLATION CONCERNING HAZARDOUS WASTE | | FUTURE HAZARDOUS WASTE POLICIES | | Statistics | | References | | Resources | | - Books | | - Periodicals | | - Organizations | | - AudioVisual Materials | | - Electronic Resources | ________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Topic 5 Hazardous Waste Background & Stats gan gan.wastes 12:04 pm Apr 12, 1991 ------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================== BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE ========================================== THE HAZARDOUS WASTE PROBLEM Virtually every person living in the United States today contributes to hazardous waste production. Things we use every day, from household cleaners and detergents to automotive service stations, contribute to hazardous waste generation. Hazardous waste, as defined by the 1976 U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is "waste which, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may 1) cause or contribute to an increase in mortality, or 2) pose a hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed." The hazardous waste generated in the United States in 1982 was 223 to 308 million tons. An EPA survey indicated that 90 percent of the hazardous waste produced in 1981 was from manufacturing operations. Chemical and petroleum industries accounted for 70 percent of this figure and metal- related industries accounted for 22 percent. Municipal garbage such as paints, antifreeze, and household cleaning agents, when deposited in a landfill, can leak toxic chemicals into the environment. A large number of leaking landfills that contain hazardous waste threaten drinking water supplies and expose citizens to harmful toxins. Additionally, there are 1.5 million underground tanks in the United States containing materials such as oil and gasoline, and an estimated 200,000 are leaking and polluting groundwater. Who generates hazardous waste? Large quantity generators, or those that produce at least 1,000 kilograms of waste per month include manufacturing industries, hospitals, the agricultural industry, and research and testing laboratories, while small quantity generators, or those that produce less than 1,000 kilograms per month include households and small businesses. Members of the Chemical Manufacturing Association account for 48 to 68 percent of the total national hazardous waste generated in the United States. REDUCTION, REUSE, RECOVERY AND RECYCLING OF WASTE Over 99 percent of federal and state environmental spending for the control of hazardous waste is devoted to managing the waste after it has been produced. If we spend more money preventing the generation of pollution, we can spend considerably less on waste disposal and environmental clean-up costs. Therefore, recycling, reuse, and reduction before generation of hazardous waste must become viable options to the public as well as to industries. Industries may have valid reasons for not reducing their hazardous waste production, such as lack of knowledge of new hazardous waste reduction technologies, or lack of funds to implement these techniques in their operations. Insufficient awareness of the environmental effects of hazardous waste and a misunderstanding of the true cost of waste management may also prevent change. Industries will continue to resist change until they perceive that hazardous waste reduction is economically desirable. The United States Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) states that true waste reduction begins before, not after, waste is generated. Hazardous waste must be minimized at all stages of a product's life starting with product creation, and including processing, use, and disposal. An evaluation of 500 case studies proved waste reduction to be effective and beneficial to industries. Implementation of waste reduction techniques resulted in a 70 to 100 percent decrease in air and water emissions and/or hazardous waste production. These techniques include replacement of chemical with mechanical processes, substitution of mercury, cadmium and lead with other less toxic substances, and installation of new, more accurate process monitors in order to achieve optimum operation. Payback periods for these changes were short, ranging from three years to less than one year. The modifications created financial benefits as well as environmental impact reductions due to improvements in one or more of the following areas: decreased raw material cost, waste management cost, and energy costs. Other benefits included improved production quality and decreased long-term liabilities for the clean-up of improperly disposed waste. Reuse, recycling and recovery of hazardous waste are less desirable from an environmental perspective than waste reduction at the source, but better than disposal in landfills or underground tanks. A number of industries could potentially reuse their hazardous materials. For example, the pharmaceutical industries have the potential to reuse 95 percent of their hazardous waste, the paint manufacturers can reuse 40 percent, the organic chemical industry can reuse 25 percent and the petroleum industry can reuse 10 percent of its hazardous waste. An estimated 25 million tons of hazardous waste produced annually is combustible and can be used as fuel. Energy, raw materials, and metals have the greatest potential for recovery from organic and inorganic waste. Recycling is the least desirable waste method for industries primarily because it is expensive to export the waste to a recycling center. As long as the currently used disposal methods remain cheaper than the methods of reuse, material recovery, and recycling, industries are not likely to change their disposal methods. CURRENT METHODS OF WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL If hazardous wastes are not reused or recycled, they must be disposed of by another method such as incineration, chemical treatment, landfills or injection wells. Incineration is the process of burning hazardous waste in order to destroy its dangerous chemical components. The ash by-product from combustion is usually stored in underground storage facilities. According to RCRA standards, the incinerator burning the hazardous waste must destroy 99.99 percent of each organic hazardous constituent. Incineration is highly efficient at destroying most organic waste, while at the same time reducing the volume of the waste. Incineration detoxifies all combustible carcinogens (which cause cancer), mutagens (which cause genetic defects), and pathological wastes (which cause disease), However, incinerators are very costly and they require trained personnel to oversee the operation and maintenance. The emission of odors and hazardous gases must be controlled to prevent air pollution and risks to public health. Other air pollutants such as the fine ash in smoke, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide and other particulates also impact human health and the environment. Chemical and physical treatment technologies range from advanced separation techniques to total chemical destruction. Many liquid wastes can be concentrated to greatly reduce the volume of hazardous waste that must be treated. Similarly, gel materials have been developed that can absorb water from hazardous waste streams, leaving behind a concentrated hazardous mixture of a smaller volume. Chemical treatment involves the use of chemical reactions to transform hazardous waste into less hazardous substances. Landfills were initially an inexpensive way to dispose of wastes. However, they have proven to be enormously expensive when they leak allowing hazardous waste to seep into the surrounding soil and groundwater. In 1986, approximately 33 billion gallons of untreated hazardous waste was disposed of in landfills. According to RCRA, impermeable clays and liners must be installed below landfills to prevent leakage, and several monitoring wells must be placed outside the landfill for detection of leaks into the groundwater. Another popular method of hazardous waste storage is in deep underground wells. These wells are dug several thousand feet below the earth's surface to prevent the hazardous waste from leaking into groundwater. Wells are usually situated in porous limestone or sandstone. A recent survey indicates that modern, well operated systems do not contaminate drinking water. However, critics argue that the lack of knowledge about subsurface water movement patterns and potential reactions with specific geologic layers preclude the use of this disposal practice. In 1986, 37 billion gallons of hazardous waste was injected into wells. GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION Groundwater can become contaminated by hazardous wastes from sources such as landfills, injection wells, and agricultural activities. Once aquifers become contaminated, it is extremely difficult to restore them to their original quality. Water takes a long period of time to move short distances underground, and therefore it is difficult to completely flush the hazardous waste out of the aquifer. Because groundwater is the source of 20 percent of domestic, agricultural, and industrial water supplies, it must be protected. Recent amendments to RCRA concerning groundwater contamination include increased federal regulation of underground storage tanks, especially tank corrosion protection, record keeping, and leak prevention and detection. (For more information on groundwater, see [conference]: "gan.waterissues;" topic: "groundwater") LEGISLATION CONCERNING HAZARDOUS WASTE The U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was passed in 1976 to protect the quality of the ground and surface water, the air, and the soil from solid waste contamination. Subtitle C of RCRA established a program to manage waste from production to disposal. It first identifies and classifies hazardous waste, then establishes regulations that govern transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of such wastes. The program's goal is to ensure that hazardous waste management is accomplished in a manner that protects human health and the environment. The main objectives include prohibition of open dumping on the land, substitution of hazardous with nonhazardous materials in the production process, provision of grants to promote research for improved recovery of reusable materials, recycling of solid wastes, and environmentally safe disposal of nonrecoverable wastes. To protect groundwater, Congress passed the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) in 1984. These amendments require that landfills be constructed so as to prevent contaminants from leaking into the surrounding soil. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA) was created in 1980 to respond to environmental and health problems caused by unregulated waste management. The heart of CERCLA is Superfund, which is a pool of money generated by taxes to ensure that funds are available for emergency clean-up efforts. Many improperly built landfills, leaking underground wells, and untreated industrial waste across the United States have contaminated soil and water. Superfund has 8.5 billion dollars set aside to restore these sites, and EPA estimates that Superfund will have to provide 10 to 33 billion dollars to clean up 1,500 to 2,000 contaminated sites. Congress's Office of Technology Assessment argues that this estimate is too low; Superfund should allocate 100 billion dollars to clean 10,000 sites. FUTURE HAZARDOUS WASTE POLICIES Consumers have power to change the production processes of industries. Information should be widely available to consumers to encourage awareness of and response to hazardous waste associated with consumer products. Environmental hazards generated by new products should be researched before a product is placed on the market so the public understands the full potential environmental impact of the product. For example, if consumers knew the amount of hazardous waste associated with various products, they could avoid purchasing those contributing to environmental and health hazards. Policies governing the roles of industries in hazardous waste minimization have been suggested. Industries should become aware of the amount of hazardous waste they produce and what effect it has on the environment. Industries can reduce the total amount of waste produced by modifying industrial processes, and increasing the recovery and reuse of waste. Since the creation and disposal of hazardous waste potentially affects the health of all citizens and seriously impacts the environment, steps should be taken now to minimize and halt the generation of such waste. ################################################################## ===================== S T A T I S T I C S : ===================== The Council on Economic Priorities estimates that 8 out of every 10 Americans live near a hazardous waste site. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 1980, nearly half of all U.S. residents live in counties containing a hazardous waste site classified among the most dangerous in the United States. (The Global Tomorrow Coalition, 1990, p. 248) An estimated 25 million tons of hazardous waste produced each year is combustible and a substantial percentage can be used as fuel. ("Research to Break the Land Disposal Habit," EPA Journal, 1986, p. 13) The chemical, machinery, and transportation and equipment industries produced the most hazardous waste in the United States in 1983. The chemical industry, having 2,440 generators, produced 28.4 billion gallons; the machinery industry, with 700 generators, produced 2.3 billion gallons; and the transportation and equipment industry, with 680 generators, produced 2 billion gallons of hazardous waste. (Salcedo, Cross, and Chrismon, 1989, p. 13) Seventy percent of landfills used to store hazardous wastes have no liners to prevent leakage into the soil, and as many as 90 percent may threaten groundwater. (The Global Tomorrow Coalition, 1990, p. 248) In the United States, about 96 percent of the total hazardous waste produced (225 million metric tons in 1983) is kept on site. (Salcedo, Cross, and Chrismon, 1989, p. 12) The chemical industry dominates in total toxic waste releases and transfers nationwide, accounting for 46 percent of the 1988 total reported to EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). The chemical industry was the source of 63 percent of all TRI discharges to surface water and 80 percent of underground injections. Three chemical companies accounted for more than 700 million pounds of TRI releases and transfers. The three are Du Pont (319 million pounds, 74 facilities), Monsanto (202 million pounds, 37 facilities), and American Cyanamid Company (189 million pounds, 27 facilities). (Environmental Protection Agency, 1990, p.5) In the second year of reporting for the TRI, 19,762 manufacturing facilities reported 6.2 billion pounds of environmental releases and off-site transfers of toxic chemical wastes for 1988. Three quarters of that amount (4.5 billion pounds) was released directly into the air, water, land, or underground wells. (Environmental Protection Agency, 1990, p. 1) The EPA recently released results of the first national survey of cancer risks from toxic air pollutants released by U.S. industry. The survey found that more than 200 plants located in 37 states pose threats at least 1,000 times higher than levels considered acceptable by federal standards. Although the U.S. Congress has directed the EPA to limit emissions of such toxic air pollutants, the agency has regulated only 7 of 200 air pollutants deemed hazardous. (The Global Tomorrow Coalition, 1990, p. 251) American industries produced an estimated 40 billion gallons of hazardous waste in 1983. (Chrismon, Cross, Salcedo, 1989, p. 13) The reduction or elimination of toxic substances does not necessarily cost industry any additional money. In fact, the 3M Company reduced hazardous waste at the source and saved millions of dollars. Through a series of substitutions in the chemical process, and equipment changes, 3M cut its waste generation in half and eliminated 10,000 tons of water pollutants, 140,000 tons of sludge, 90,000 tons of air pollutants, and 3.7 billion liters of waste water. These measures also conserved the equivalent of 250,000 barrels of oil a year and saved the company $300 million over the 10 year period. (The Global Tomorrow Coalition, 1990, p. 256) In an EPA study of 28 firms engaged in waste reduction, 54 percent of the companies reported full investment return in a year or less, 21 percent were repaid in one to two years, and only 7 percent of the cases took more than four years to regain investment expenditure. (The Global Tomorrow Coalition, 1990, p. 257) The latest Coast Guard data shows that 9 million gallons of oil were discharged into navigable waters of the United States between 1981 and 1982. (Salcedo, Cross, Chrismon, 1989, p. 53) The EPA has recorded at least 6,928 accidents with acutely toxic chemicals in the last five years, killing 135 and injuring nearly 1,500. Fully one-third of the accidents occurred at the facilities run by Dow Chemical Company, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and the American Cyanamid Company. (Salcedo, Cross, Chrismon, 1989, p. 158) For the waste now placed in landfills, surface impoundments, land treatment facilities and waste piles, the EPA estimates that the cost of restricting land disposal is $1.3 billion per year. ("Banning Untreated Waste from the Land," EPA Journal, Vol 12 #3, 1986, p.5) ################################################################## ===================== R E F E R E N C E S : ===================== "An Approach to the Prevention and Recycling of Waste." INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, January-March 1989. "Banning Untreated Waste from the Land." EPA JOURNAL, April 1986. Bureau of National Affairs Inc. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. Washington D.C.: Library of Congress, 1988. "Can Pollution be Destroyed?" EPA JOURNAL, April 1986. Chrismon, Randolph; Cross, Frank; and Salcedo, Rodolfo. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES. Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., 1989. "Improving Technology Through Process Modifications, Material Substitution, and Ecologically Based Ethical Values" INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, January-March 1989. Devinney, Joseph S.; Everett, Lorne G.; Lu, James C.S.; and Stollar, Robert W. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT. Chemical Engineering Series: Library of Congress, 1989. Global Tomorrow Coalition, The. THE GLOBAL ECOLOGY HANDBOOK. Boston: Beacon Press, 1990. Environmental Protection Agency. TOXICS IN THE COMMUNITY. 1990. "Research to Break the Land Disposal Habit." EPA JOURNAL, April 1986. "Tackling Pollution from Underground Storage Tanks." EPA JOURNAL, April 1986. "U.S. EPA Shifts its Priorities to Pollution Prevention." INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, January-March 1989. Wentz, Charles A. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT. Chemical Engineering Series: Library of Congress, 1989. ################################################################## ------------------------------------------------------------------ Topic 6 Hazardous Waste Resources gan gan.wastes 12:09 pm Apr 12, 1991 ------------------------------------------------------------------ ========================================= RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE ========================================= BOOKS: Briggum, Sue M.; Goldman, Breer S.; Squire, Daniel H.; and Weinberg, David B. HAZARDOUS WASTE REGULATION HANDBOOK: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RCRA AND SUPERFUND. New York: Executive Enterprises Publishing Co. Inc., 1986. This book is an essential guide to the obligations and regulations imposed by the complex federal hazardous waste regulations - RCRA and Superfund. Denison, R.; and Ruston, L. RECYCLING AND INCINERATION: EVALUATING THE CHOICES. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1990. This major reference work introduces seven recommendations for fundamental reforms in waste management and provides a thorough basis for comparing waste reduction and recycling with incineration on practical, economic and environmental grounds. Freeman, Harry M. STANDARD HANDBOOK OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers, 1988. The STANDARD HANDBOOK describes alternatives for managing hazardous waste and cleaning up abandoned disposal sites. The handbook covers hazardous waste characteristics, siting, health effects, risk assessment, sampling and analysis of technical questions for characteristics of waste streams and treatment systems. Griffen, Roger D. PRINCIPALS OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT. Chelsea, Michigan: Lewis Publishing Co., 1989. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the various disciplines concerned with hazardous materials, health, transportation, measurement, management and regulation - providing a framework for understanding the nature of hazardous materials and how risks to human health from such materials can be reduced. Kenworth, Lauren; and Eric Shaefer. A CITIZEN'S GUDE TO PROMOTING TOXIC WASTE REDUCTION. New York: INFORM, 1990. The best way to deal with waste is to produce less of it in the first place. This guide is a basic description of hazardous waste reduction strategies. It also outlines public programs at local and state levels to promote and support hazardous waste reduction. Lindgren, Gary F. MANAGING INDUSTRIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE. Chelsea, Michigan: Lewis Publishers 1989. MANAGING INDUSTRIAL HAZARDOUS WASTE assists the practitioner in establishing or modifying their firm's regulation compliance progress. It focuses on hazardous waste management activity most common at manufacturing firms: accumulation and storage of waste that is pending shipment elsewhere. Muir, Warren; and Underwood, Joanna. PROMOTING HAZARDOUS WASTE REDUCTION: SIX STEPS STATES CAN TAKE. New York: INFORM, 1990. This report, the result of more than five years of research, details why hazardous waste reduction should be an agressively pursued management approach. It identifies six initiatives that states can adopt in developing their own waste reduction programs. National Toxics Campaign. FIGHTING TOXICS. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1990. The health risks from toxic exposure are no longer limited to isolated instances such as Love Canal. This book explains how to organize your community; how to influence corporate business practices; how to obtain information on the threats in your area, using the Freedom of Information Act, the new national right-to-know law, and local sources; and how to work effectively with the media. Pohland, Fredrick G.; and Tedder, William D. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT. Pennsylvania: Maple Press, 1990. This new volume describes developing technologies for treating and managing contaminated waste water and solid residues, such as soils and incinerator ashes. United Nations Environment Programme. LOW AND NON-WASTE TECHNOLOGY. Nairobi, Kenya: Lino Typesetters Limited, 1985. Many industrial problems can be solved by the use of low or non-waste technology designed to prevent waste at the source of generation. This book is a compendium of low and non-waste technological methods successfully being used in the manufacturing of chemical, petroleum, coal, rubber and plastics industries. ORGANIZATIONS: CITIZEN'S CLEARINGHOUSE FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE. CCHW, P.O. Box 926, Arlington, VA 22216; (703) 276-7070. CCHW helps local groups develop effective strategies to address a broad range of environmental hazards. CCHW emphasizes outreach and service to low income minority communities. CITIZENS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT. 59 East Van Buren Street Suite 1600, Chicago, Illinois 60605; (312) 939-1530. CBE works to protect human health by reducing toxic pollution, mainly in urban areas. CBE observes public agencies and industries, performs litigation and science research, and provides technical information and organizing skills to the public focusing on air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and pesticides. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CONTROLS RESEARCH INSTITUTE. 9300 Columbia Blvd., Silver Springs, MD 20910; (301) 587-9390. HMCRI promotes the establishment and maintenance of a reasonable balance between expanding industrial productivity and an acceptable environment. INFORM. 381 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016; (212) 689- 4040. INFORM studies the environmental impacts of business - especially exploring ways to reduce toxic pollution problems, conserve land and water resources, encourage development of new, clean energy sources and safeguard workers. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY. 2101 Constitutional Ave., Washington, D.C. 20419; (202) 334-2216. The National Academy of Science provides assistance to the federal government by conducting studies on the environment, toxicology, and risk assessment, as well as natural resources, environmental exposure, environmental engineering, and environmental policy. AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS: For more information, or to order THE RUSH TO BURN; THE RIVER THAT HARMS; or THE WIPP TRAIL, contact: The Video Project, 5332 College Avenue, Suite 101, Oakland, CA 94618; (415) 655- 9050. THE RUSH TO BURN examines whether incineration is safe, whether the government is adequately regulating this process, and the alternatives to toxic burning. The film also tells the story of citizens from many parts of the country who have discovered the dangers of these incinerators and are fighting to stop them. 35 minutes, 1989. VHS/Beta, Sale $19.95. THE RIVER THAT HARMS documents the largest radioactive waste spill in U.S. history - a national tragedy that has received little media attention. In 1979, 94 million gallons of water contaminated with uranium mining waste broke through a United Nuclear Corporation storage dam. The water poured into the Puerco River in New Mexico - the main water supply for the Navajo Indians. This film tells the story of this tragedy and the toll it continues to take on the Navajos who have lost the use of their water and witnessed the sickness and death of their animals. 34 minutes, 1986. VHS/Beta, Sale $39.95, Rent $45. THE WIPP TRAIL, narrated by Robert Redford, shows how radioactive waste generated by the nations' nuclear weapons production facilities is being readied for cross-country travel to the first "permanent" nuclear waste disposal site located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Regular nuclear shipments will pass through 28 states for the next 25 years on the way to the controversial WIPP site (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant). Over 30 scientists, health officials, citizens and politicians provide a wide range of opinions, illustrated by footage of the WIPP Site and other graphics. 54 minutes, 1989. VHS/Beta, Sale $86, Rent $35. For more information, or to order IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: THE FIRST LOVE CANAL; TOXIC CHEMICALS, PART 1: WHO NEEDS TO KNOW?; or TOXIC CHEMICALS, PART 2: DEVELOPING A COMUNITY RIGHT, contact Film and Video Library, University Library, The University of Michigan, 400 Fourth Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816; (800) 999-0424, (313) 764-5363. IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: THE FIRST LOVE CANAL describes events that occured at Love Canal, the site of the first hazardous waste emergency of its kind in the United States, between 1978-1980. It combines footage of public events and interviews with partcipants to examine the ways Love Canal residents, their scientific and legal advisors, and government officials understood and responded to the situation. 59 minutes, 1981. Sale, $18.50. TOXIC CHEMICALS, PART 1: WHO NEEDS TO KNOW? explores the unmet community need for better information about potentially dangerous chemicals. It illustrates this point with two examples, a PCB fire in downtown San Francisco and a toxic gas release near an Orange County school. Both show how emergency medical workers cannot respond appropriately to chemical accidents and fires because they do not know what chemicals are involved. 27 minutes, 1984, Sale $16. TOXIC CHEMICALS, PART 2: DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY RIGHT examines the long-term problems caused by hazardous chemicals at abandoned dump sites. It shows how many groups have worked together to stop the chemical leaks and create a hazardous materials ordinance which requires businesses and industries to report what chemicals they use and where they are stored. 27 minutes, 1984. Sale $16. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES: There are a number of conferences available through the EcoNet conference system that provide additional information on hazardous waste issues. They are easily and readily available to you and are similar to the GAN conferences. The following is a partial list of topics within the "conferences" index of EcoNet: baseconv.news -- Contains the Center for Economic Conversion (CEC)'s newsletter on military base conversion. ccn.capacity -- Info on U.S. carrying capacity issues and linkages among environmental, population, economic and social issues. en.pesticides -- Information and discussion about the use of pesticides and their impact on health and the environment. en.recycle -- Information and discussion on recycling industrial and other wastes. en.storage.tan -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency material regarding Federal underground storage tank regulations. en.toxics -- Health and safety issues of toxic chemicals, their dangers and their control. en.toxics.clea -- Toxic Cleanup - sites and methods en.toxics.cont -- Toxic Contamination - spills, accidents, deliberate releases, etc. en.toxics.inci -- Hazardous waste incinerators, waste-to- energy plants. en.toxics.land -- Land disposal of wastes. en.toxics.pulp -- Side effects of pulp & paper industry and its products. en.toxics.righ -- Community right-to-know issues involving toxic contamination, use of hazardous materials and production of hazardous wastes. en.waste -- Issues of waste management from toxic pollution to action planned against polluters. gl.ozone -- TERC Global Lab Project--discussion of ozone monitoring. gl.project -- TERC Global lab Project description, information, and general business. int.permacultu -- Forum to promote & inform users about the importance of permaculture, a system aiming to live in harmony with the planet, creating a sustainable regime, improving and repairing the land. nuc.facilities -- Environmental effects of nuclear weapons production facilities, and actions organized against them. oz.recycling -- Recycling issues in Australia. ppn.nukemateri -- Discussion and information about the nuclear fuel cycle, from mining through waste handling and its effect on the land and the people. sweap.general -- Solid Waste Environmental Assessment Plan underway by the Metropolitan Toronto Works Department to plan for waste management in the next 20-40 years. toxics.militar -- This conference contains information about toxics and environmental problems at military bases. 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