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Acid
Mine Drainage in the Watershed
EPA's
Waste Site
DEP
Land Recycling and Waste Management
MAPS
Hazardous
Waste in the Juniata Watershed
Acid
Mine Drainage in the Juniata Watershed
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Hazardous
wastes differ from other types of wastes in that they pose a threat to
human life, human health, or the environment when improperly stored, transported,
treated or disposed. Wastes are considered hazardous if they fall into
one of the following four categories: ignitable, corrosive, reactive,
or toxic. In order to classify what wastes fall into the category of hazardous,
Pennsylvania uses a federal list of over 600 specific wastes. Mixtures
of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes also fall into the category of hazardous.
Although Pennsylvania’s industries generate about 750,000 tons of
hazardous waste a year, this number represents only two percent of the
overall waste produced.
- In
the Juniata River Watershed, the issue of hazardous waste is an important
factor influencing the river. The Environmental Protection Agency and
the Department of Environmental Protection are responsible for tracking
the use, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials.
- The
EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System
(RCRIS) tracks hazardous waste generation, transport, storage, and disposal.
According to EPA data, 229 RCRIS sites exist in the watershed. About
half of these are located in the urban areas of Altoona and Lewistown.
Table
of Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System Facilities.
- The
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) focuses on tracking over 300 toxic chemicals
and their release into the air, water, and land by various industries.
Those who manufacture, store, or release these chemicals are included
on the TRI list. Forty-six TRI-related facilities are located in the
watershed.
Table of Toxic Release Inventory.
- The
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information
System (CERCLIS) is the tracking system for the National Priority List
(NPL) of hazardous waste sites, better known as the “Superfund”
program. This system handles the assessment, prioritization, and remediation
of the most hazardous and polluted sites. Eight sites in the watershed
are in the CERCLIS system, but only two of those are on the NPL. Tableof
CERCLIS/Superfund Sites lists the CERCLIS and Superfund sites in
the watershed.
EPA
Links 
About
the RCRA
What
Makes a Hazardous Waste ?
Hazardous
Waste in Your Community
Hazardous
Waste Recycling
How
You Can Make a Difference in Hazardous Waste Management
- The
DEP has a comparable program to Superfund to manage the most contaminated
sites in Pennsylvania: the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program.
Through this program, DEP has the authority to conduct site investigations
and remediation at hazardous sites. The F.E. Cooper site in Broad Top
Township, Bedford County, is on the PA Priority List for Remedial Response.
The Easterly Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Logan Township, Blair County,
was delisted in 1999 after remediation work was completed. Three sites
in Mifflin County are considered Interim Response Sites: Royer Dump
Site in Granville Township and Naginey Quarry and Mifflin County Recycling
in Armagh Township. All three sites have had the interim response completed
and await further remediation (DEP, 1997).
- DEP
also has a Land Recycling Program, begun in 1995, which
encourages private cleanups and reuse of industrial sites. The Land
Recycling Program has a unique approach, combining economic development
with environmental cleanup. The program focuses on motivating private
cleanup activities by allowing flexibility in cleanup standards and
providing liability protection for companies willing to cleanup a site.
Thus far, the program has been quite successful: more than 650 sites
have been cleaned up as of January 2000. Table
of Land Recycling Program Sites lists the past and present program
sites in the watershed.
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