Pollution - Environmental Science - page 162

tion is likely to produce some quantity of hazardous waste, which requires specialized handling. Most likely,
this special handling includes disposal in a hazardous waste landfill. In the United States, incineration plants
have air emission guidelines aimed at the reduction of the amount of acid-causing chemicals, heavy metals,
and other toxic and harmful substances released during incineration.
Most incineration plants operating in the United States are considered to be waste-to-energy facilities, where
the heat that is generated during combustion is captured and used to heat water, which creates steam at high
temperatures. Just as in a coal-fired power plant, this steam is then used to turn turbines, generating electricity.
Reduction
Certainly the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly way to address waste is by producing less of
it. While recycling is becoming more common and economical, not all products are recycled. Even products
that are recycled must be disposed. Composting of organic substances is also becoming more widely accepted
and used, but it still requires time, effort, and space to conduct it properly. By reducing what we purchase and
use, reusing existing products, recycling used products, and composting people can reduce the amount of waste
entering landfills or being incinerated.
Many efforts have been made at the international, federal, state, and local levels to control pollution, both at
the source and in the areas where it concentrates. Subsidies, green taxes, and permit trading have been used to
help lessen pollution. For more information on these efforts refer to Chapter 4. Innovative technological ad-
vancements also have helped to reduce pollution from a range of sources. To protect human health and the en-
vironment, the Clean Air Act set standards governing the release of criteria pollutants. The act was created in
1970 and most recently amended in 1990, with the goal of protecting public health and welfare. The Clean Air
Act regulates emissions from mobile and stationary sources, as well as hazardous emissions. It focuses on re-
ducing air emissions, reducing concentrations of air pollutants, and ultimately reducing the production of de-
structive chemicals. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were set by this act.
U.S. Laws and Treaties
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Clean Air Act (CAA)
Clean Water Act (CWA)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
Oil Pollution Prevention Act (OPP)
Pollution Prevention Act (PPA)
International Laws and Treaties
The 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Kyoto Protocol