Hazardous Waste: Compliance with Groundwater Monitoring Requirements at LandDisposal Facilities

摘要

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water for many parts of the nation. Ifnot properly constructed, land disposal facilities for hazardous waste may result in the leakage or release of pollutants and contaminants into the underlying groundwater. Through the enactment of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976, the Congress sought to impose, among other things, control over land disposal facilities to minimize their potential adverse environmental impacts. As part of its effort to implement the act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations generally requiring that owners/operators of land disposal facilities used to manage hazardous waste on or after November 19, 1980, install wells to monitor the groundwater under their facilities. The regulations' objectives were to immediately detect releases of hazardous waste. If a release is detected, owners/operators must assess the rate and extent of migration and the concentrations of hazardous waste in the groundwater and may be required to take corrective action to rectify any adverse environmental impact caused by the facility.