Appendix A: Glossary

Balefill: A that only accepts Clean Water Act (CWA): The Clean Water that has been baled. Act is a federal law that established the basic structure for regulating discharges Baler: A machine used to compress recy­ of pollutants into the waters of the clables or waste into bundles to reduce United States. It gave EPA the authority their volume. Balers are often used on to implement pollution control programs recyclables such as newspaper, plastics, such as setting wastewater standards for and corrugated cardboard. industry. The Act also continued Burn Barrel: A container (e.g., a 55-gallon requirements to set water quality stan­ drum) used for open burning of waste. dards for all contaminants in surface waters. The Act made it unlawful for Buy-Back Center: A facility to which indi­ any person to discharge any pollutant viduals bring recyclables in exchange for from a point source into navigable payment. waters, unless a permit was obtained Clean Air Act (CCA): The Clean Air Act under its provisions. It also funded the is a federal law that requires EPA to set construction of treatment plants national health-based air quality stan­ under the construction grants program dards to protect people and the environ­ and recognized the need for planning to ment against common pollutants, address the critical problems posed by including ozone (smog), carbon monox­ nonpoint source pollution. ide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, Closure: The termination of the active life lead, and particulate soot. State govern­ of a unit by either: ments must devise cleanup plans to meet 1) installation of a , or 2) the heath standards by a specific date. In removal of all waste and contaminated addition, EPA sets national standards for soils and containment devices. major new sources of pollution including automobiles, trucks, and electric power Composting: The controlled decomposition plants. EPA also is charged with devel­ of organic materials, such as leaves, oping controls for major sources of such grass, and food , by microorgan­ toxic pollutants as benzene. isms. The result of this decomposition

95 process is , a crumbly, earthy- Curbside Collection: Programs in which smelling, soil-like material. waste or recyclable materials are collect­ ed at the curb, often from special con­ Comprehensive Environmental Response, tainers, and then taken to various Compensation, and Liability Act processing facilities. (CERCLA): The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Drop-off Collection: A method of collecting Compensation, and Liability Act, com­ waste, recyclable, or compostable materi­ monly known as Superfund, was enacted als in which the materials are taken by by Congress in 1980. This law created a individuals to collection sites, where tax on the chemical and petroleum they deposit the materials into designat­ industries and provided broad federal ed containers. authority to respond directly to releases End-Use Market: A company or other enti­ or threatened releases of hazardous sub- ty that purchases recycled materials for stances that may endanger public health use as feedstock in manufacturing new or the environment. Over 5 years, $1.6 products. billion was collected and the tax went to a trust fund for cleaning up abandoned Generator: Any entity that produces solid or uncontrolled sites. waste. Generators are usually divided CERCLA established prohibitions and into the following types: residential— requirements concerning closed and single or multi-family households; com­ abandoned hazardous waste sites; provid­ mercial—offices, retail and wholesale ed for liability of persons responsible for outlets; institutional—social, education­ releases of hazardous waste at these sites; al or charitable activities; and industri­ and established a trust fund to provide al—industrial processes or for cleanup when no responsible party manufacturing operations. could be identified. Generation Rate: Amount of solid waste Construction and Demolition (C&D) produced over a given period of time. Debris: Materials resulting from the For example, a community might pro­ construction, remodeling, repair, or dem­ duce 1,600 tons of waste per year. For a olition of buildings, bridges, pavement, population of 2,000, that amounts to 4.4 and other structures. Typically includes pounds per person per day. concrete, asphalt, wood, metals, drywall (gypsum wallboard, sheet rock, or plas­ Household Hazardous Waste: The leftover ter), and roofing materials. Some tribes content of consumer products used in and states also include land clearing and around the home that contain haz­ debris such as stumps, rocks, and dirt in ardous components, including certain this category of waste. paints, cleaners, stains and varnishes, car batteries, motor oil, and pesticides. Convenience Centers: Community waste Certain types of household hazardous and/or recyclables drop-off sites. They waste have the potential to cause physi­ typically consist of one or more bins for cal injury to sanitation workers, contami­ waste and/or recyclables and are located nate septic tanks or wastewater at spots convenient for residents, such as treatment systems if poured down drains near major roads or at shopping centers or toilets, and present hazards to children or community centers. and pets if left around the house. While households do not have to separate

96 household hazardous waste from trash with Subtitle D under federal law, some states and locali­ landfill standards. ties have special disposal requirements Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Program: A for this waste. waste and recyclables collection program Incinerator: A furnace for the routine burn­ that provides a financial incentive to ing of waste materials using controlled reduce, , and recycle waste by flame combustion. charging residents for hauling and dis­ posal costs based on the amount of Integrated Solid Waste Management: A garbage they throw away. solid waste management system com­ posed of the following actions, steps, Post-Closure Care: The monitoring of a methods, processes, and facilities: plan­ closed waste management unit to verify ning, financing, regulation, operation, that unacceptable releases from the unit and management. It also includes: reduc­ are not occurring. tion of solid waste generation (source : A series of activities that reduction), collection, transfer, materials includes collecting recyclable materials recycling, composting, combustion that would otherwise be considered ( or waste-to-energy), and waste, sorting and processing recyclables disposal. EPA defines integrated solid into raw materials such as fibers, and waste management as a process for man- manufacturing raw materials into new aging solid waste and materials diverted products. from solid waste through a combination of any of the following four methods of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act management: source reduction, recy­ (RCRA): This act authorizes EPA to cling, combustion, and landfilling. control solid and hazardous waste from “cradle to grave.” RCRA regulates haz­ Medical Waste: All from hospitals, ardous waste generation, transportation, clinics, or other health care facilities storage, treatment, and disposal. RCRA that contain or have come into contact also sets forth a framework for the man­ with diseased tissues or infectious agement of non-hazardous solid waste. microorganisms. Can include human Amendments to RCRA in 1986 also blood and blood products, pathological authorized EPA to address environmen­ waste, discarded sharps (e.g., needles, tal problems arising from underground lancets, scalpels, broken medical instru­ storage tanks (USTs) storing petroleum ments), and contaminated animal waste. and other hazardous substances. Also referred to as “red bag” waste because of the red biohazard bags in Reuse: Using a product more than once, which it is discarded. either for the same purpose or for a dif­ ferent purpose. Reusing items by repair­ Open Burning: The uncontained burning of ing them, donating them to charity and solid waste in a pit, pile, container, or community groups, or selling them also open dump. reduces waste. Open Dump: An uncovered site used for Roll-off Container: A large waste or recy­ disposal of waste without environmental clables container that fits onto a tractor controls. Under RCRA, any site receiv­ trailer that can be dropped off and ing solid waste that does not comply picked up hydraulically.

97 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): The effects. TSCA requires that any chemi­ Safe Drinking Water Act is the main cal that reaches the consumer market be federal law that ensures the quality of tested for possible toxic effects prior to Americans’ drinking water. Under the commercial manufacture. Existing chem­ Act, EPA sets standards for drinking icals that pose health and environmental water quality and oversees the states, hazards are tracked and reported under localities, and water suppliers that TSCA. The management and disposal of implement those standards. asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are regulated under TSCA. Solid Waste: Wastes from residential, com­ mercial, and institutional sources, such Transfer Station: A site or facility where as durable and nondurable goods, con­ waste materials are taken from smaller tainers and packaging, food scraps, yard collection vehicles (or private vehicles) trimmings, inorganic wastes, and con­ and placed in larger vehicles, including struction and demolition debris. truck trailers, railroad cars, or barges for transport. Recycling and some waste Source Reduction (or Waste Prevention): processing also might take place at trans­ Refers to any change in the design, man­ fer stations. ufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including packaging) to Waste Reduction: Using source reduction, reduce the amount or toxicity before recycling, or composting to prevent or these materials become municipal solid reduce waste generation. waste. Source reduction also refers to the Waste Stream: The total flow of solid waste reuse of products or materials. from generators within the jurisdiction Special Wastes: A non-regulatory term used that must be recycled, reused, or dis­ by tribes to describe problem wastes typi­ posed of. cally generated by households that are WasteWise: WasteWise is a free, voluntary not disposed in household garbage con­ EPA partnership program through which tainers primarily due to their size or tribes, communities, and organizations because of disposal restrictions. The can work to eliminate waste, benefitting most common special wastes include their bottom line and the environment. tires, furniture, bicycles, appliances and The WasteWise program can help part­ other white goods, and car batteries. ners design their own solid waste reduc­ Tires and lead-acid car batteries are tion programs tailored to their needs. examples of special wastes that might have disposal restrictions. Yard Trimmings: Leaves, grass, clippings, prunings, and other natural organic mat­ Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): ter discarded from yards or gardens. Yard This act, passed by Congress in 1976, trimmings also may include tree stumps requires the that all chemicals produced and brush, but these materials are not or imported into the United States be normally handled at composting facilities. tested, regulated, and screened for toxic

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