Chapter 8 Behavior and Characteristics of Manufacturing Materials 129
Disposal of Hazardous Wastes
There are other laws regulating the disposal
of hazardous wastes in groundwater systems. The
National Pollution and Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit program addresses the
discharge of hazardous and toxic wastes into the
nation’s water system. Materials to be discharged
must be pretreated and rendered safe before
disposal in public sewage treatment systems. The
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
provides information on pretreatment requirements
for wastewater to be discharged into rivers, streams,
lakes, and other water sources.
Burning or incineration of solid hazardous wastes
is regulated by the Clean Air Act. The concept of burn-
ing, as it is to be interpreted in this act, is for purposes
of energy recovery, destruction, material processing, or
as an ingredient. The Clean Air Act provides specific
levels that must not be exceeded in terms of gallons
to be burned per month based on the TESH Formula
(Terrain-adjusted Effective Stack Height). The TESH
Formula is described in Section 726.206 Standards to
Control Emissions from burning metals. Feed rate
screening limits for metals are specified as a function
of terrain-adjusted effective stack height and terrain
and land use in the vicinity of the processing facility.
There are many laws, acts, and requirements
that manufacturing establishments must understand
to comply with legislation and be good corporate
citizens in today’s world. Programs must be devel-
oped and implemented to deal with issues ranging
from initial identification and storage, through off-
site transportation and disposal. Training programs
must be in place to address these and many other
issues related to hazardous and toxic materials.
The next several chapters will shift our
emphasis from safety of materials to the behavior
of materials used in manufacturing. The five
major manufacturing materials have different
characteristics and behave differently when used
with various types of manufacturing processes.
Learning about these differences provides a good
foundation for the study of the processes that can be
used with specific materials.
Important Terms
characteristic waste
chemical properties
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA)
hazardous waste
Hazcom Standard
Hazwoper (Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard)
life cycle analysis (LCA)
listed waste
manifest
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
mechanical properties
National Pollution and Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES)
physical properties
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Right-to-Know Law
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
surplus
waste generators
waste materials
Questions for Review and Discussion
1. Investigate some of the companies in your area
to determine if any dispose of hazardous waste.
What does it mean when a company is classified
as conditionally exempt regarding hazardous
materials? Why do you think the company
received this classification?
2. What are the restrictions pertaining to burning
waste?
3. If a company is classified as a small-quantity
generator of hazardous waste, what is
management’s responsibility with respect to
handling and disposal of hazardous materials?
4. What is a MSDS? Does your firm, or a firm you
are familiar with, have any responsibility for
preparation and display of MSDSs?
5. Look at the product recall database provided
by the Consumer Public Safety Commission at
www.recalls.gov. Find a product that interests
you and write a summary paragraph describing
recent recalls for this product.
Disposal of Hazardous Wastes
There are other laws regulating the disposal
of hazardous wastes in groundwater systems. The
National Pollution and Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit program addresses the
discharge of hazardous and toxic wastes into the
nation’s water system. Materials to be discharged
must be pretreated and rendered safe before
disposal in public sewage treatment systems. The
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
provides information on pretreatment requirements
for wastewater to be discharged into rivers, streams,
lakes, and other water sources.
Burning or incineration of solid hazardous wastes
is regulated by the Clean Air Act. The concept of burn-
ing, as it is to be interpreted in this act, is for purposes
of energy recovery, destruction, material processing, or
as an ingredient. The Clean Air Act provides specific
levels that must not be exceeded in terms of gallons
to be burned per month based on the TESH Formula
(Terrain-adjusted Effective Stack Height). The TESH
Formula is described in Section 726.206 Standards to
Control Emissions from burning metals. Feed rate
screening limits for metals are specified as a function
of terrain-adjusted effective stack height and terrain
and land use in the vicinity of the processing facility.
There are many laws, acts, and requirements
that manufacturing establishments must understand
to comply with legislation and be good corporate
citizens in today’s world. Programs must be devel-
oped and implemented to deal with issues ranging
from initial identification and storage, through off-
site transportation and disposal. Training programs
must be in place to address these and many other
issues related to hazardous and toxic materials.
The next several chapters will shift our
emphasis from safety of materials to the behavior
of materials used in manufacturing. The five
major manufacturing materials have different
characteristics and behave differently when used
with various types of manufacturing processes.
Learning about these differences provides a good
foundation for the study of the processes that can be
used with specific materials.
Important Terms
characteristic waste
chemical properties
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA)
hazardous waste
Hazcom Standard
Hazwoper (Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard)
life cycle analysis (LCA)
listed waste
manifest
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
mechanical properties
National Pollution and Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES)
physical properties
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Right-to-Know Law
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
surplus
waste generators
waste materials
Questions for Review and Discussion
1. Investigate some of the companies in your area
to determine if any dispose of hazardous waste.
What does it mean when a company is classified
as conditionally exempt regarding hazardous
materials? Why do you think the company
received this classification?
2. What are the restrictions pertaining to burning
waste?
3. If a company is classified as a small-quantity
generator of hazardous waste, what is
management’s responsibility with respect to
handling and disposal of hazardous materials?
4. What is a MSDS? Does your firm, or a firm you
are familiar with, have any responsibility for
preparation and display of MSDSs?
5. Look at the product recall database provided
by the Consumer Public Safety Commission at
www.recalls.gov. Find a product that interests
you and write a summary paragraph describing
recent recalls for this product.