Hazardous waste delisting, landfill taxes and how not to recycle heavy metals

摘要

Regulation of hazardous wastes in theUnited States were established to encourage therecovery and recycling of heavy metals. As a part ofthose regulations, a mechanism was established toallow the taking wastes of the hazardous waste rolls,using a procedure called delisting. In a furthereffort to discourage landfilling and encouragerecycling, states levied taxes on the use of landfills.Unfortunately, this milieu has in fact discouraged therecycling of heavy metals. Using steel mill electricarc furnace dust as an example, development of theregulations will be chronicled, what was intendeddiscussed, how the failure of various technologiesmandated by the regulators forced them to reopenlandfilling options, and how all of this made metalsrecycling less achievable. Further, the difficultiesof using the delisting option will be described andhow it has in fact also made recycling more difficult.Finally, while landfill taxes do indeed discouragelandfilling, it will be shown that a primary resultis to encourage waste processors located in low-taxstates, and, working at cross purposes with the otherregulations, to in general increase the costs ofrecycling and drive much of the metals in landfills.