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Chapter 2, Section 5:
Hazardous Waste Management

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a hazardous waste as any substance that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic. Traditionally, the tribes did not have to deal with these substances because they were not native to our region or were chemically locked into stable, harmless compounds in the environment. Modern techniques and industrial policies have isolated and purified these minerals and chemicals for a variety of purposes and hundreds of millions of tons of these dangerous products are made every year. As our knowledge increases, we learn that materials used for a long time in house construction and other activities are actually too dangerous for use. For example: asbestos was widely used to fireproof building materials, but we now know that asbestos fibers are toxic because they can cause cancer. According to the law, all asbestos must be removed from every inhabited structure in the United States. Hazardous waste managers are engaged in:

• Finding alternatives to materials that will become hazardous wastes
• Identifying and characterizing hazardous wastes
• Permitting (issuing permits) to control production, transportation, treatment, and storage
• Tracking to ensure safe waste handling
• Disposing of hazardous wastes according to strict regulations
• Monitoring disposal sites to ensure their safety
• Reducing the use and toxicity of hazardous materials
• Cleaning up hazardous spills and contaminated sites
• Developing new treatment technologies
• Assessing public health and ecological risks and impacts
• Assessing waste disposal liability
• Communicating with the public about the problem
• Redeveloping waste sites

Employment Breakdown:
Over 150,000 employed, including re-mediation projects
Private sector - 77%
Public sector - 22%
Nonprofit sector - 1%

Key Job Titles:

Biologist Chemical Engineer Chemist Civil Engineer Emergency Response Staff Environmental Attorney Environmental Economist Environmental Engineer

Environmental Health Specialist Environmental Planner Radioactive Waste Engineer Hazardous Materials Specialist Geologist Industrial Hygienist Pollution Prevention Coordinator Hazardous Waste Technician

Salary:
Starting salaries vary widely. Hazardous waste engineers start from $28,000 to $35,000 and can rise quickly. Technicians are paid $19,000 to $25,000, and can become chemists ($25,000 to $35,000) and supervisors ($32,000 to $42,000). Compliance specialists might earn $30,000 to $40,000. Government pollution prevention specialists providing technical assistance start at around $30,000 and rise to around $45,000 or higher. For experienced technical personnel, expect salaries of $45,000 to $70,000. For more senior managers, companies pay $75,000 to $100.000 and higher.

Resource:

• Academy of Certified Hazardous Material Managers: www.achmm.org
• Air and Waste Management Association: www.awma.org
• Amazing Environmental Organization Web Directory:www.webdirectory.com
• Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials: www.astswmo.org
• Brownfields Non-profits Network: www.brownfieldsnet.org
• CCHW Center for Health, Environment, and Justice: www.cehn.org/cehn/resourceguide/cchw.html
• CLU-IN, Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Information: www.clu-in.com
• Hazardous Substance Research Centers: www.hsrc.org
• National Environmental: Training for Hazardous Materials and Asbestos: www.natlenviro.com
• National Solid Wastes Management Association: www.nswma.org/
• National Spill Control School: www.sci.tamucc.edu/nscs
• Natural Resources Defense Council: www.nrdc.org
• Solid Waste On-line: www.solidwaste.com
• Superfund Basic Research Program: www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/sbrp/index.cfm

• Back to Chapter 2

Last updated: May 27, 2005