Alabama. Dept. of Environmental Management. Hazardous Waste Branch.

Sources:

Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management (ADEM), The Alabama Environment, A Report, 1982-1984.

ADEM, The Alabama Environment, 1984-1987.

ADEM, Organizational chart, 1991.

The Hazardous Waste Branch of the Land Division of the Alabama Dept. of Environmental Management was formed in 1982 Oct. It contains two sections, the Technical Services Section and the Compliance Section.

Hazardous wastes are defined as those meeting one or more of the following criteria: toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive. Efforts designed to minimize risks from hazardous wastes during their life cycle are detailed in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The state of Alabama and the Environmental Protection Agency work together to track pathways of handling hazardous wastes according to RCRA as they are generated, transported, and either treated, stored, or disposed of in licensed facilities. "Owners of facilities that treat, store, or dispose (TSD) of hazardous waste must comply with regulatory standards which include containing, treating, and/or destroying wastes so that they cannot contaminate groundwater, surface water, or the atmosphere... insurance must be maintained to cover costs of any environmental or health problems which might occur." [Alabama Environment, 1982-1984, 15].

The Technical Services Section reviews and issues permits for hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. It also provides engineering technical support for closure of facilities, both hazardous and non-hazardous. It also provides engineering technical support to the Solid Waste Section. Technical Services coordinates the review of permits, as applicable, with the Air and Water Divisions and performs on-site review to observe the operation of facilities.

The Compliance Section inspects regulated hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities to determine compliance. It also investigates citizen complaints related to hazardous waste. This section also provides assistance in emergency response situations regarding residue disposal, performs certain limited sampling activities during field investigations, and provides technical data supporting the legal basis for enforcement actions. One of its more important duties is to issue hazardous waste transporter permits.

From the description of Sub-agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145410158