Hazardous Waste: Management Problems Continue at Overseas Military Bases
Abstract
In 1986 GAO reported to the Secretary of Defense that the Department of Defense was not adequately managing hazardous waste at U.S. military bases overseas. GAO concluded that this shortcoming could harm humans and the environment. The Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, Committee on Government Operations, requested that GAO evaluate the Department's efforts to improve its hazardous waste management at overseas bases and to determine the corrective actions taken in response to the 1986 report. More specifically, GAO assessed whether the services, which implement the Department's guidance on hazardous waste management, had (1) established clearer standards for handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous waste, giving appropriate consideration to host country requirements; (2) required overseas bases to develop plans for managing hazardous waste; (3) required oversight of base activities through external inspections; (4) included overseas bases in its hazardous waste reduction (minimization) programs; and (5) provided hazardous waste management training to all appropriate staff. GAO also reviewed the Department's implementation of those provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the implementing regulations that would be practicable for overseas bases to use to ensure protection of IJ.S. personnel and the environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 28, 1991
- Accession Number
- AD1157143
Entities
People
- Nancy R. Kingsbury
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office