The Main Issue With the Usage of MTBE - Research Paper Example

The term HAZWOPER stands for Hazards Waste Operation and Emergency Response. It is about five types of management of hazardous waste material and operations to handle the emergency situations state can face due to dangerous leftover waste items. After two disastrous events in the history of United States of America; the government decided to take different precautionary measures to fight with the risk. The love canal located in New York was used to bury the toxic chemical waste by the well known chemical industry, due to this many health problems aroused in the specific area of the state.

Another site Valley of Drum, was used for same purposes the waste material is processed here this was affecting the environment badly. In order to monitor all such activities and make them legal and harmless for the people government decided to set the rules and regulations as a result interim standard was written in 1986 and it was finalized in 1991 by the congress.(McNulty, 2009) The government decided to train people in order to attain the maximum success of saving their lives. These people are supposed to clean the hazardous waste material safely.

The two paragraphed standard was written in which all the details of how to train people and their how to assure their health while they are working on specific site are mentioned. (McNulty, 2009) HAZWOPER is divided into five component sections which are described in next few lines of this easy. Operations for cleanup at waste sites by the governmental bodies and trained employees. Analysing and taking corrective actions of cleaning the hazardous sites. Cleaning of those sites voluntarily which are labelled as uncontrolled hazardous sites by the federal or local government Operations involving hazardous waste that are conducted at treatment, storage, disposal facilities regulated by RCRA ( Resource Conservation and Recovery Act).

Response of emergency situations for operations of release of threats related to hazardous substances. (McNulty, 2009) The key components that must be followed to evaluate the case given in description i.e. evaluate an abandoned industrial paint manufacturing facility with a good size field of 250-300 unknown, unmarked drums in the open field next to the manufacturing building are to analyse the operations carrying on in the manufacturing plant of paint factory and then cleaning up the waste material from the site next to the plant.

The unmarked drums should be processed and identified; action should be taken if the steps against the standards of HAZWOPER are taken. MTBE stands for methyl tertiary butyl ether, chemical used in composition of fuels. This chemical is affecting our environment badly; it is used in fuel manufacturing companies. In United States of America MTBE is used in motor vehicle fuels as oxygenate and in gasoline as well. The main issue with the usage of MTBE is when it leaks from underground gas tanks and get mixed with water.

The factors contributing in complexity of remedying of properties contaminated with fuel composed of MTBE are as follow: MTBE debase gradually in atmosphere. MTBE is an aerobically degradable chemical MTBE is extremely solvable, hence it is efficiently mixed in ground water There is no level to check the poisonous properties of MTBE. It is very difficult to identify the presence of MTBE in water or soil due to its low degree of smell. (U.S . environmental protection agency, 2012) REFERENCES: McNulty, M. (2009). What is hazwoper.

HAZWOPER , 4-5. U.S . environmental protection agency. (2012). MTBE And Underground Storage Tanks. U.S . environmental protection agency.