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solid waste management and
resource conservation and re-
covery systems.

(f° * Establishing a cooperative ef-
fort among Federal, State,
and local governments and
private enterprises.

gam. /he Act statutorily establishes
the Office of Solid Waste within EPA to
guide the implementation of the law
and establishes a Federal/State/local
government partnership to share the
implementation. The major thrusts of
the efforts that will be required by this
partnership are:

7 * Land protection through reg-
ulation and control of wastes
and waste disposal opera-
tions.

YQ x*wRegulations and control of
~ the hazardous waste stream
“cradle to grave.”

<) ® Improvements in all aspects of
waste management at the
State, regional and local
levels.

wx Reduction of the waste
stream through increased re-
source recovery and waste re-
duction efforts.

«) & Broad public education pro-
grams with rapid dissemina-
tion of all types of solid waste
management information
materials.

6 ‘Ye Broad public participation in
the development and im-
provement of solid waste
management throughout the
Nation.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 197/


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—_ Tris Act, built on the founda-
tion of the Solid Waste Disposal Act of
1965 and the Resource Recovery Act of
1970, is the evolutionary product of
years of deliberations and hearings.
The Congress intended RCRA to ad-
dress the following problems:

7 *The ever-increasing amounts
of waste material being gen-
erated as a result of National
economic and population
growth.

DkSerious financial, manage-
ment, intergovernmental,
and technical problems in
solid waste collection, treat-
ment and disposal in urban
areas resulting from popula-
tion concentration.

<? ®Open dumping of solid waste
which needlessly pollutes val-
uable land resources as well as
air and water resources.

_j*Human health and environ-
mental dangers resulting
from improper disposal of
solid waste and especially
hazardous waste.

5 * Increasing amounts of pollu-
tion control residuals (sludges,
etc.) destined for land disposal
as a result of the Clean Air Act,
Water Pollution Control Act,
and other Federal and State
laws.

6 *The wasteful burial of re-
coverable resources with at-
tendant increases in depend-
ence on foreign energy and
material sources, and in bal-

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ance of payment deficits.

%The need to continue the
development of solid waste as
an energy source to conserve
and reduce dependence on
alternate energy sources such
as petroleum, natural gas, nu-
clear and hydroelectric gener-
ation.

wan She stated objectives of RCRA
are to promote the protection of
health and the environment and to
conserve valuable material and en-
ergy resources. The Act intends that
these objectives be achieved by:

7 * Providing technical and finan-
cial assistance to State and
local governments for devel-
opment and implementation
of solid waste management
plans.

LY &Providing training grants in
solid waste occupations.

<? ® Prohibiting future open
dumping on land and requir-
ing upgrading or closing of
existing open dumps.

4 * Regulating the treatment,
storage, transportation, and
disposal of hazardous wastes.

& *Promulgation of guidelines
for solid waste management
practices and systems.

6 *Conducting a research and
development program for
improved solid waste man-
agement and resource con-
servation techniques.

/ * Demonstration of improved

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