Resource Conservation/Recovery Act
RCRA
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was passed by congress in 1976 and amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. It is a our nations federal law that governs the disposal of solid and hazardous waste. RCRA gives the EPA authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave," which includes transportation, generation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. Under the RCRA a waste is considered a hazardous waste if it is specifically listed by the EPA or if it corrosive, ignitable, reactive and or toxic.
STRENGTHS & WEEKNESSES
Strengths
Created to address our nations increasing problems from the growing volume of municipal and industrial waste.
The RCRA regulates the management and disposal of hazardous pharmaceutical cases produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers and the health care industry.
Goals of RCRA:
* To Protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal.
* To Conserve energy and natural resources.
* To Reduce the amount of waste generated.
* ToEnsure that wastes are managed in an environmentally-sound manner.
Weaknesses
The RCRA does not regulate household wastes (medications/pharmaceutical waste generated in a household)