Hazardous Waste Management Specialists

Those who would like to explore avenues of hazardous waste management can get involved in local chapters of citizen watchdog groups and become familiar with nearby Superfund sites. What is being done at those sites? Who is responsible for the cleanup? What effect does the site have on nearby communities? The Center for Health, Environment & Justice, founded by Love Canal resident Lois Marie Gibbs, may be able to provide information about current concerns of citizens. Books written by Gibbs—Love Canal: My Story and Love Canal: The Story Continues—detail illnesses suffered by Love Canal residents and their frustration at difficulty in finding someone to take responsibility for the mess. Love Canal: My Story illustrates how the job of hazardous waste management specialist can make a difference in citizens' lives.

Additionally, understanding the problems of hazardous waste management and the controversy surrounding some of the limitations of Superfund provide a more detailed picture of the specialist's job. There are numerous magazines published on hazardous waste management, including those addressing the different waste generators and involved professionals, for example, chemical manufacturers, oil industry representatives, engineers, and conservationists. Two publications are Waste Management World (http://www.waste-management-world.com) and the Journal of Environmental Quality (https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com). Outreach programs sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers offer presentations to high schools in some areas and may be arranged with the help of science departments and career services office staff members. Hazardous waste sites are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List Web site, at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl. Visit the site to learn more about existing and new sites, find out how and why they are added to the list, and follow the cleanup progress.

Participate in information interviews with hazardous waste management specialists. In such an interview—which can be conducted in-person, on the phone, or through video-conferencing technology—you will get the opportunity to ask specialists about their job duties, work environment, likes and dislikes about their careers, educational training, and other topics that will help you to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor or a teacher to help you set up information interviews.