Many common ship repair tasks result in the production of quantities of various hazardous wastes. These wastes, regardless of volume, present difficult burdens for shipyards and the U.S. Navy. Under federal environmental laws, the responsibility for handling hazardous wastes and the liability for their ultimate disposal rests with the person or persons who create the wastes and who arrange for their disposal. Oftentimes, however, the responsibility and liability for handling and disposing of these wastes is unclear. This is especially true when naval ships are repaired in contractor facilities and wastes are produced by the activities of ships' force, contractor personnel, or some combination of the two. Further complicating the web of liability is the divergent source of the wastes. Some wastes are produced as a direct result of required maintenance work on ship systems. Other wastes may be produced in the yard by activities which are largely discretionary with the contractor. Ultimately, these wastes from all sources must be identified, packaged, stored, treated, transported, and disposed. Potential future liability may arise at each step in this process. This paper reviews briefly the structure and function of two principal federal hazardous waste statutes and explains how their myriad complex responsibilities and liabilities are applied in the context of a typical ship repair2
Construction and function of the web of Tidarren sisyphoides (Araneae: Theridiidae)