Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) industrial nonhazardous waste facilities' potential for groundwater contamination; and (2) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to revise its 1979 standards for industrial nonhazardous waste facilities.

GAO found that, between 1985 and 1987, more than 10 percent of industrial facilities: (1) handled small amounts of such hazardous wastes as arsenic, mercury, and strong acids; (2) failed to use environmental controls to prevent or detect groundwater contamination; and (3) violated state groundwater protection standards. GAO also found that EPA did not: (1) revise facility standards by March 1988, as required, and made little progress in gathering data necessary to revise the standards; or (2) establish specific tasks or identify the resources necessary to assess and revise the standards.