Abstract
This chapter presents an engineering perspective on the risks of hazardous wastes. The chapter explains how engineers help in reducing the risks posed by hazardous wastes and provides a history of hazardous waste engineering. Over the past two millennia, humans have generated wastes in exponentially increasing volumes. As societies have attempted to control the environment, greater amounts of wastes have been produced. Engineering has its roots in these attempts at waste control. Engineers are called on to protect people and their environment from the potential damages caused by hazardous substances by applying the latest science and technology to prevent and remove the risks concomitant with hazards. The chapter presents a seminal case study of the Love Canal in upstate New York. The case involved many public and private parties who shared the blame for the contamination of groundwater and exposure of humans to toxic substances. The chapter further describes the human values that are important in hazardous-waste decisions.
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