| Hazardous Waste Division
Mission The mission of the Hazardous Waste Program is to enforce the provisions of the District of Columbia Hazardous Waste Management Act of 1977. Congress enacted this law, which is based on the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), in 1976. The District of Columbia received authorization in 1985 to implement its own hazardous waste management program in lieu of the federal program.
Program Description:
Hazardous Waste Division’s primary goals are to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, to conserve energy and natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to ensure the generated wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner. The Hazardous Waste program regulates commercial businesses as well as federal, State, and local government facilities that generate, transport, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. Each of these entities is regulated to ensure proper management of hazardous waste from the moment it is generated until its ultimate disposal or destruction.
DC Millitary Installations: The Hazardous Waste Division also ensures that DC military installation restoration projects are completed in accordance with District of Columbia environmental laws and regulations. Hazardous Waste staff work under an agreement with the US Department of Defense to provide technical review and guidance to military services for installation restoration projects at active military sites and formerly used defense sites in the District of Columbia. These sites include the Washington Navy Yard, which is the District’s only Superfund site; Bolling Air Force Base and Spring Valley, a World War I munitions testing site in Northwest DC. Activities include technical review of work plans and reports, site visits, attendance at regular technical meetings, and participation in community outreach activities such as Restoration Advisory Board meetings.
Hazardouse Waste Fact Sheets:
For more information regarding the Hazardous Waste Division, call (202) 535-2270.
For questions, concerns and reporting of hazardous spills, call EMA at (202) 727-6161. |