- Organicfarmingisamethodofgrowingfoodcropswithnaturalalternativestochemical
pesticides. How does organic farming help control hazardous wastes? - What is one disadvantage of storing hazardous wastes in barrels buried deep in the
ground? - Scientists who work with hazardous wastes often wear special clothing like gloves and
masks. Why do you think they wear these items? - Which do you think is easiest and hardest to keep track of: hazardous waste that is
present as a gas, liquid, or solid? Why?
Further Information / Supplemental Links
- LoveCanalPathfinder,NathanTallmanhttp://www.nathantallman.org/pathfinders/
lovecanal.html - Superfund Sites Where You Livehttp://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
Vocabulary
degrade To lower the quality of something.
pesticides Chemicals used to kill or harm unwanted pests such as insects that damage
food crops.
superfund act A law passed by the US Congress in 1980 that held companies responsible
for any hazardous chemicals that they might create.
superfund site A site where hazardous waste has been spilled. Under the Superfund act,
the company that created the hazardous waste is responsible for cleaning up the waste.
Points to Consider
- What are the best ways to either prevent or safely dispose of hazardous materials?
- If humans are the ones who mostly create hazardous materials, whose responsibility is
it to clean them up? - Is it important for each generation to leave the world a safe place? If one generation
doesn’t do this, who pays the price?