Hazardous material and review the historical laws and principles of the industry
Instructions:-
Topic : Hazardous material and review the historical laws and principles of the industry
The research paper should be based on a topic discussed in your class (which should have been turned in week 3). The requirements of this paper include a cover sheet (course title and name, paper title, student name and student ID), a table of contents, 3-5 numbered pages of text, and a reference page. The research paper requires at least five references.
Solution
Hazardous material and review the historical laws and principles of the industry
Introduction
The danger posed to human and environmental health as a result of increased production and distribution of hazardous materials has continued to draw the attention of environmentalists and health experts. Increasing levels of industrialization over the last century has led to the production of billions of tons of hazardous materials most of which are responsible for some of the environmental challenges that we continue to face to today, including the infamous global warming. This has led to the development of legislation to control the hazardous material industries. This paper defines hazardous materials, identifies the laws and principles that govern the industry and finally explains how a hazardous material is managed according to the laid-down legal framework.
Definitions
The definition of hazardous material is broad. According to the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management, a hazardous material is any item or agent whether physical, chemical, biological or even radiological which can potentially harm animals, humans or the environment by itself of its through its interaction with other agents. Various organizations have also provided their own broad definitions of what constitutes hazardous material as explained below.
Laws and principles governing industry
The primary law that governs the production and disposal of hazardous material is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed on October 1976 by Congress in order to address the increasing levels of municipal and industrial waste. It was an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 and its aimed to achieve the following goals
- Protection of humans and the environment from the hazardous materials
- Conservation of natural resources and energy
- Reduction of hazardous material generated
- Ensuring the management of hazardous material in an environmentally sound method.
Subsequent legislation has been issued by various institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Transportation (DOT), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with each institution or department issuing its own definition of what constitutes hazardous materials.
The OSHA’s definition of hazardous material comprises any chemical or substance that has the potential to cause physical or health hazard. This covers chemicals that are regarded as toxins, corrosives, carcinogens, sensitizers and even irritants etc. These are agents that are explosive, combustible, oxidizers, flammable or even reactive and which in the course of their storage may produce hazardous agents. The EPA, in addition to the OSHA’s definition, adds to its definition those agents that would cause harm to animals or plants if released through leaking, pouring, escaping, and emptying or disposing to the environment. The Department of Transport, in its definition of hazardous material, incorporates those agents or chemicals that when in transit poses a risk to the environment or public safety. This category of material is regulated by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, Technical Instructions of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Preparing Hazardous Materials for Military Air Shipments and the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR 171-180 among others. Lastly, the NRC is involved in the regulation of material that is deemed hazardous due to its radiation properties such as special nuclear materials and other radioactive substances.
The above regulatory bodies provide rules and procedures and guidelines that govern the production, handling, storage, transportation, disposal and management of hazardous materials, with the sole aim of ensuring a minimal or no harm to humans and the environment. They also license the hazardous material industry, after carrying out thorough investigations and analysis of such organizations capacity to adhere to such laid down guidelines on hazardous material management. Organizations that fail to meet the threshold of safety as laid down by the relevant regulatory bodies risk having their licenses revoked.
To be licensed as a player in the hazardous materials industry, one has to meet stringent requirements in areas such as risk analysis and management, adherence to safety guidelines and disaster preparedness.
Conclusion
Increased industrialization in the last century, coupled with the increase in military activities especially nuclear militarization has played a key role in increasing the volume of hazardous materials in the world. Besides contributing to global climatic problems such as global warming, hazardous waste is responsible for the destruction of human life, plants, and animals. So serious is some hazardous material that it’s reported the effect of the United States atomic bombing of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Second World War continues to be felt to date. The United States environmental protection agency has therefore been mandated by Congress to issue the necessary regulations to govern the production, distribution, handling, and storage of hazardous materials through its various bodies such as the OSHA, DOT and the NRC.
References
Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. Available at: https://www.ihmm.org/about-ihmm/what-are-hazardous-materials
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Available at: https://www.nrc.gov/
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Available at: https://www.osha.gov/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Available at: https://www.epa.gov/