Hazardous wastes may be transported to be treated, stored, or
disposed of. Facilities that generate hazardous waste are
required to prepare a shipping document, or “manifest,” to
accompany the waste as it is transported from the site of
generation. This manifest must accompany the waste until its
ﬁnal destination and is used to track the wastes from cradle-to-
grave. The potential for pollution releases during the
transportation of waste varies; the more hazardous the waste and
the larger the volume that is transported, the more devastating
the environmental/human health impact if an accident occurs.
Trafﬁc accidents or train wrecks can result in waste spills and
releases of pollutants that may contaminate the air, water, and
soil. Wastes may also be released while being loaded or unloaded
during transportation. Approximately four billion tons of
regulated hazardous materials are shipped within the United
States each year with more 250,000 shipments entering the U.S.
transportation system daily. The Emergency