NCJ Number
147542
Date Published
1988
Length
85 pages
Annotation
This is a RAND report on the extent of illegal hazardous waste disposal, the types of firms and wastes involved, and effective deterrent strategies.
Abstract
Researchers interviewed approximately 40 environmental law enforcement personnel and industry representatives in Los Angeles County, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. It is observed and speculated that small-quantity waste generators are more likely than are large-quantity generators to dispose of some or all of their waste illegally, and are the more difficult to monitor. Pennsylvania, unlike the other two jurisdictions, inspects only large-quantity (more than 1,000 kg./mo.) generators--and lets the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) handle the smaller-quantity generators--which could explain why officials there see less of a problem than do the others. All three jurisdictions prosecute serious violators as criminals, and impose fines on lesser violators. The quantity of legally disposed waste- -not to mention illegally disposed waste--is not accurately known. Thus, balancing the severity of the problem against the costs of maintaining detection and prosecution systems is difficult. RAND suggests that the EPA might acquire appropriate data through a system based on intensive inspection of randomly selected firms, and through better monitoring of possible illegal disposal sites, such as sanitary land fills, sewers, and storm drains. 12 tables, bibliography