Over 40 million tons of hazardous waste is produced in the United States each year. It is produced by large industrial facilities such as chemical manufacturers, electroplating companies, petroleum refineries, and by more common businesses such as dry cleaners, auto repair shops, hospitals, exterminators and photo processing centers. The EPA has produced a list of more than 500 hazardous wastes and works closely with businesses and state and local authorities to make sure these wastes are properly treated and disposed of. The EPA also conducts risk management studies to ascertain the potential health effects of exposure to these wastes and oversees Superfund and other programs that clean-up contaminated waste sites.
Recommended EPA Web pages |