Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The superfund program is designed to quizlet
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The superfund program is designed to quizlet
Superfund, also known as CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability) was enacted in 1980 by the federal government in response to the discoveries of multiple large uncontrolled hazardous wastes sites in the United States (US). The Superfund program set aside money for the federal government and specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate and clean up hazardous waste sites, as well as to compel industry to clean them up on their own. Since 1980, many states have developed their own programs similar to Superfund to guide clean up in their respective boundaries.
Under Superfund, the EPA may take action to identify responsible parties, perform emergency removal of hazardous waste, establish long term remediation plans, and facilitate community participation. Hazardous waste sites are identified for EPA involvement through the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS). The HRS is a scoring system based on the actual and potential releases of contaminants to the environment from the site. Sites scoring high in the HRS may be added to the added to the National Priority List (NPL) based on the interest of the state and the relative risk the site poses.
Understanding the fate and transport of hazardous waste can be helpful for both identifying and managing contaminated sites. For example, a scientist can use principals of fate and transport to determine if waste requires an immediate removal action based on its likelihood to migrate to other parts of the site or off-site. If waste does not require immediate removal, fate and transport can help determine what type of long-term remedial action is required. It is very common for waste to migrate off-site via environmental media including groundw...
... middle of paper ...
... ecological health by remediating habitat including wetlands, floodplains, and beaches. The Coeur d’Alene River has been diverted in at least one area while remediation takes place. Agencies overseeing the Superfund site include the US EPA and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW).
Works Cited
"Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Superfund Site (Coeur D'Alene Basin)." Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Superfund Site (Coeur D'Alene Basin). US Environmental Protection Agency, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
National Research Council Committee on Superfund Site Assessment (2005). Superfund and mining megasites: lessons from the Coeur D'Alene River basin. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-09714-7.
"Basic Information." Superfund. US Environmental Protection Agency, 24 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Jan.
2014. .
The positive aspects of ‘Lake’ Powell are few yet noteworthy. Glen Canyon Dam’s hydroelectric power-plant generates one thousand three hundred mega watts of electricity at full operation. That is enough power to supply three hundred fifty thousand homes. Glen Canyon Dam holds twenty seven million acre feet of water, which is equivalent to twice the Colorado River’s annual flow (Living Rivers: What about the hydroelectric loss?). One of the most valuable reasons for the dam to remain active is that “Lake Powell generates four hundred fifty five million dollars per year in tourist revenue, without this cash inflow, gas-and-motel towns . . . would undoubtedly wilt, and surrounding counties and states would lose a substantial tax base” (Farmer 185). These positive aspects are of no surprise considering they are the reason dams are built in the first place.
...of disposal. Representatives from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment selected sites at Hadleyville, Forchu, and St. Peter's on Cape Breton Island for disposal sites. These sites were chosen on the basis of their accessibility, soil characteristics, ground-water levels, and proximity to cleanup locales.
Removal of the mountaintops causes environmental impacts from blasting. The blasting has caused rocks to be deposited into valleys on the hillsides, burying almost 2,000 miles of streams which feed the Mississippi River. Slurry, the residue which is used to clean the coal can wash into groundwater and may contain arsenic, lead, manganese, iron, sodium, strontium, and sulfate. A recent research study is beginning to link these environmental impacts to the grave health concerns in the Appalachian communities. During most of the Mountaintop removal mining’s history coal industries have been able to obtain permits easily to operate, but once under the Obama administration Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) those permits now take more time to obtain. The permit process requires all applications to be reviewed before being given out to coal
This Paper will describe and analyze three articles pertaining to the ongoing debate for and against Glen Canyon Dam. Two of these articles were found in the 1999 edition of A Sense of Place, and the third was downloaded off a site on the Internet (http://www.glencanyon.net/club.htm). These articles wi...
Hoffman, Joe. "Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the Williston Basin, Montana." Serc.carleton.edu. Carleton College, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. .
"The Toll from Coal." Catf.us. Clean Air Task Force, Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
To the northeast part of Arizona lay a conflict between two indigenous groups from the surrounding area and the world’s largest coal company formerly known as Peabody Coal (now Peabody Energy). The Hopi and Navajo reservations surround a region known as Black Mesa. Black Mesa is located on both the Navajo and Hopi Reservations which is a target source for underground water called the N-aquifer. The N-aquifer contains a great amount of pristine Ice Age water. As time drew on, many indigenous people were alarmed that the water was carelessly being depleted from their land. Mining on Black Mesa should be stopped because the inhabitants are affected by Peabody, livestock in the area must depend on the local springs, groundwater is being depleted at an average of 3.3 million gallons per day, and the water is being contaminated (SBMW Online par 1).
There are many potential adverse health impacts caused by the chemicals used at the drilling site, which are later often unintentional released into the environment. These chemicals are hazardous and as Witter et. al. (2008) state “some of the chemicals used in this process are brought to the surface, potentially contaminating soil, air, and water, while some of the chemicals are left underground, potentially subsurface aquifers” (4). This makes it difficult to track which chemicals are causing effects and where they are coming from. Another piece to the puzzle is that the drilling companies do not disclose the full-list of chemicals so there is a great mystery in what chemicals and what concentrations are used in the process (Lauver 2012:383). However, recently there researchers have begun to breakdown the chemical identities and concentrations.
To satisfy the special considerations of a nonattainment area the project must comply with strict emission limitations. The proposed recycling center must not exceed these limitations or the project will not be approved. The Environmental Protection Agency states:
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment administered the Brownfield program in 1994 (“brownfield’s handbook”). This program was used to provide means for which sites not under any authority are to be cleaned up to usable condition. The program approves cleanup plans and provides letters of “no further Action,” signifying site closure (“brownfield’s handbook”). Interestingly these brownfield sites are usually small in size. 60% of the sites entering the states voluntary
The beauty of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah has been seen by the many who live here, and many others who come to visit. One of the central pieces of this beauty is man made product called Lake Powell. This lake was created in the 1950’s with the building of the Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon then filled with water, making what is now a body of water that supplies power to 22 million people, and recreation which brings in over 500 million dollars per year. (Wilke) There are four reasons for this dam: the regulation of water flow to the Colorado River, supplying power to residents of the southwest, area water usage programs, and water sports recreation. (Draining, 2001) The detractors of the existence of this dam use examples of water loss, hurting of the ecosystem, and long term harmful effects on the southwest. Lake Powell has proven itself to be one of the greatest positive inputs in its area, these inputs greatly outweighing what loss it may bring. Lake Powell should be kept as is to better the lives and the way of life of the people in this area and visitors.
The Nevada state government is against putting the depository in the Mountain. Many people disagree with the project a say the the site can safely hold the waste for only 100 years (www.
Environmental hazards arise as well from hazardous materials and waste. Hazardous materials concerns could arise from spills of gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, or solvents from containers or vehicles. Spills could contaminate soils or leach into ground or surface water. And environmental hazards could adversely affect humans, wild life, vegetation and water supply.
Mine Tailings. (2008). The University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (SBRP). Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://superfund.pharmacy.arizona.edu/Mine_Tailings.php
...es site requires detailed planning by the agencies of the country, such as the Department of Energy in the US. The long-term isolation of the high level waste is usually done in rural areas and it is suggested that planning, construction and operations of repositories would result in significant socio-economic effect(Finsterbausch 1980).The economic and social cost outweigh the social and economic benefits.