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9 <br />1.00 Purpose <br />MAINTENANCE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANUAL <br />Chapter I <br />Pa-ee 8 <br />In order to protect public health and the environment and to conserve natural <br />resources, the State Legislature finds that: <br />A. Increasing quantities of hazardous wastes are being generated in the State, for <br />which the generators of the hazardous waste must provide safe disposal. <br />B. Long term threats to public health, air and water quality are posed by the landfill <br />disposal of many types of untreated hazardous wastes, and by the inappropriate <br />handling, storage, use and disposal of hazardous wastes. <br />C. Extensive technology exists for the safe treatment, neutralization and destruction <br />of many types of hazardous wastes prior to disposal. <br />D. Numerous opportunities exist to reduce the amount of hazardous waste in the <br />State, and to conserve resources through the application of existing source <br />reduction and recycling technology. <br />E. The people of the State face immense costs as a result of improper hazardous <br />waste handling and disposal practices. <br />1.01 Caltrans Responsibility as a Hazardous Waste Generator <br />Under the "cradle to grave" concept of hazardous waste, the generator of the <br />waste is responsible for it forever — even if it is properly disposed of in a landfill. <br />The only exceptions are if the material is recycled, incinerated, or re -used. The <br />generator bears full responsibility for proper storage, transport, and disposal of <br />hazardous wastes it creates. This is why it is essential to ensure the Caltrans <br />waste is properly stored and disposed of and that every effort to recycle and re -use <br />or incinerate as much waste as possible is made. Records and documentation are <br />essential. Caltrans must use substitution, new products, new methods and <br />alternative technologies to reduce the amount of hazardous waste it generates. <br />1.02 Definition of Hazardous Waste <br />As defined in Articles 25141 and 25124 of the Health and Safety Code (H & SC), <br />hazardous waste is material which because of its quantity, concentration, physical, <br />chemical, or infectious character may either cause or significantly contribute to an <br />increase in human mortality or serious irreversible or incapacitating illness. <br />These substances pose a substantial present or future hazard to human health or <br />the environment due their properties including but not limited to : carcinogenicity, <br />acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, bio -accumulative properties or persistence in the <br />environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or <br />otherwise managed. <br />July 2018 <br />