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Under the law, hazardous waste must be handled more carefully (treated or stabilized and put in properly managed double-lined landfills) than common household garbage. Hazardous waste can be a liquid, solid or sludge that is a by-product of a manufacturing process. It can also be a commercial product like battery acid or industrial solvents that are discarded. Under the law, a waste is hazardous and must be treated specially if the Environmental Protection Agency lists the chemical as being toxic or if the waste demonstrates that is has any of the following characteristics:
Ignitable: A waste that is flammable (has a flash point under 140 degrees Fahrenheit) such as solvents, points or cleaning products.
Corrosive:wastes that are acids or alkaline that can burn human tissue or corrode metal.
Reactive:A broad range of wastes that are unstable, explosive or can create toxic fumes. Of the thousands of toxic chemicals in commerce, EPA has listed only 40 as having toxic characteristics.
However, according to a study by EPA, the tests to determine whether a chemical meets the characteristic tests for hazardousness have serious flaws. Because of the weaknesses in the tests, many hazardous wastes are unregulated. What are the gaps in the law?
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