Disposing of Toxic Acid Spills

¶ … Optimal Toxic Chemical Disposal Approach

Given their relatively commonplace occurrence, identifying optimal toxic chemical disposal approaches following accidental spills represents a timely and important enterprise. To this end, this paper reviews the relevant literature to determine the optimal course in action with respect to the incineration of the collected spilled acid at a manufacturing facility as a final disposal approach or incineration of the waste elsewhere. A discussion concerning the critical considerations for, or against, the incineration approach is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning chemical waste disposal following an accidental spillage in the conclusion.

Most states require that companies ensure that their toxic waste is either properly disposed of on-site or is otherwise disposed of in an off-site facility (McKenrick & Keiko, 2009). For companies that experience significant numbers of spills, the decision to dispose of these toxic materials on-site or through a contract with an off-site disposal service can involve large amounts of scarce organizational resources. Although the proper disposal of collected spilled acid at a manufacturing facility could be accomplished by contracting with an off-site disposal facility, this approach necessitates the transportation of the toxic waste, frequently through populated areas, thereby introducing an additional risk of accidental release (McKendrick & Keiko, 2009). This alternative also requires that companies ensure that a documented chain of custody of the toxic waste is maintained with appropriate bills of lading, manifests and receipts that document the toxic waste destruction (McKendrick & Keiko, 2009).

By contrast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasizes that incineration provides an effective approach to the disposal of toxic wastes, including various acids. In this regard, the EPA reports that, "When performed properly, incineration destroys the toxic organic constituents in hazardous waste and reduces the volume of the waste" (Combustion, 2016, para. 3). Moreover, innovations in incineration technologies have provided a new generation of toxic waste incinerators that drastically reduce the amounts of waste products that are emitted into the atmosphere following their destruction with high temperatures (Incineration, 2016).