Where Will All That Gunk Go?
Beginning this month, as many as 175,000 businesses from dry-cleaning establishments to metal shops will be covered by the new regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), requiring them to dispose of their hazardous wastes at licensed facilities. Almost all businesses that choose to comply will find it expensive. Some may find it impossible. For as the demand for licensed disposal capacity increases, the supply is going down. Consider: * Last year there were around 140 commercial facilities licensed to handle hazardous wastes. This year it’s down to 106. There are now no facilities at all in 21 of the 50 states, increasing shipping costs to waste generators. * Only three new commercial disposal facilities have been licensed and are under construction nationwide, largely because of community opposition that has reached near hysteria in some places. Even existing facilities that meet Environmental Protection Agency standards are in jeopardy as a nationwide relice
