Concerns and Opportunities Involving Geosynthetics and Waste Containment, 1990 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings

The U.S. Congress, through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) and its 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA), challenged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop standards for the management of both hazardous and nonhazardous wastes in this country in a manner that would protect human health and the environment. The EPA, through its experience in field activities and research, continues to refine the control strategies by incorporating state-of-the-art materials and design alternatives. The regulations and guidance will continue to be updated as construction materials are improved and as design concepts are better understood and verified in the field.

The current status of hazardous waste (Subtitle "C" of RCRA as amended by HSWA) and nonhazardous waste (Subtitle "0") regulations including proposed regulations are summarized below. The role of geosynthetics, including flexible membrane liners (FMLs), geonets, geotextiles, and plastic pipes, in meeting the regulatory requirements will be discussed. Systems, (e.g., cover systems, liner systems, etc.,) are discussed rather than individual components,