The management of toxic waste is a serious issue which affects everyone. This is because mistakes in the handling and disposal of toxic waste can lead to environmental problems which threaten human life. The potential threat of hazardous waste came to national attention in 1976, with an incident occurring at Love Canal, New York. Love Canal, a small community near Niagara Falls, suddenly became an emergency zone when hundreds of houses and an elementary school were exposed to the leakage of deadly chemicals in the area. The cancer-causing chemicals had been disposed of by a nearby industrial concern known as the Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation. In the early 1950's, the chemical company sold the land that it had been using as a dumping site. Later, the community of Love Canal was built on the location. In 1976, heavy rains released many of the toxic chemicals into the ground and the residents of the area began to experience serious health problems. Of the 900 families living in Love Canal, 814 had to be evacuated from their homes as a result of the toxic danger. Many other cases involving leakages of hazardous waste have been reported in the news media. In addition, the threat that existed at Love Canal in the late 1970's continues to exist for many American communities today. Large amounts of toxic waste continue to be disposed of by industrial companies each year. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that more than 600 million tons of hazardous waste are released into the environment annually. When this figure is compared with the size of the population of the United States, it can be seen that more than two and three-quarters tons of toxic waste is released "for every single person in the country each and every year."
Toxic waste is generally caused by industries which use hazardous materials in their manufacturing processes. The dangers to the environment and to human health usually occur...