Hazardous Waste: Improvements Needed in DoD's Contracting System for Disposal of Waste
Abstract
Military installations operated by the Department of Defense generate more than 500,000 tons of hazardous waste each year. Waste is hazardous if it is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic or if it appears on a list of about 100 industrial waste streams. Hazardous waste includes contaminated sludges, solvents, acids, heavy metals, and other chemical wastes. Defense hazardous waste is generated primarily through industrial processes that are used to repair and maintain weapon systems and equipment, such as aircraft, ships, or trucks. If waste is disposed of improperly, it can be hazardous to health and the environment. Transporters of hazardous waste must comply with transportation safety regulations and use the manifest system, in effect since 1980, to monitor waste from its point of generation, along its transportation routes, to its final treatment, storage, or disposal site. Treatment, storage, and disposal facilities are required to have permits, to comply with strict operating standards, to meet financial requirements, and to comply with strict requirements when closing their facilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA240480
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office