Abstract |
Section 104(m)(2) of the Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 required the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to study the problem of the disposal of waste oils and their effect on the environment. The report emphasizes the information required in Section 104(m)(1)(A) and presents the data currently available which are applicable to Sections (B) and (C). The report presents the information available to date on the quantities of waste oils produced and their physical and chemical properties. A review of the current disposal and re-refining processes is presented together with a brief evaluation of the current state-of-the-art and anticipated technological improvements. Information on the economic structure of the waste oil business is also reported. Because of the lack of information available in the literature and the necessity for time to determine long-term biological effects, it is not possible to report on such effects at this time. |