Electronic waste : EPA needs to better control harmful U.S. exports through stronger enforcement and more comprehensive regulation : report to the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives /

Increasingly, U.S. consumers are recycling their old electronics to prevent the environmental harm that can come from disposal. Concerns have grown, however, that some U.S. companies are exporting these items to developing countries, where unsafe recycling practices can cause health and environmenta...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Authors:	United States. Government Accountability Office, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs
Format:	Government Document eBook
Language:	English
Published:	[Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, [2008]
Subjects:	United States. > Environmental Protection Agency > Rules and practice. Electronic waste > United States > Management. Electronic apparatus and appliances > Environmental aspects > United States. Recycling (Waste, etc.) > United States.
Online Access:	http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081044.pdf http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1044 https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/LPS105242

Description
Summary:	Increasingly, U.S. consumers are recycling their old electronics to prevent the environmental harm that can come from disposal. Concerns have grown, however, that some U.S. companies are exporting these items to developing countries, where unsafe recycling practices can cause health and environmental problems. Items with cathode-ray tubes (CRT) are particularly harmful because they can contain 4 pounds of lead, a known toxin. To prevent this practice, since January 2007 EPA began regulating the export of CRTs under its CRT rule, which requires companies to notify EPA before exporting CRTs. In this context, GAO examined (1) the fate of exported used electronics, (2) the effectiveness of regulatory controls over the export of these devices, and (3) options to strengthen federal regulation of exported used electronics. Among other things, GAO reviewed waste management surveys in developing countries, monitored e-commerce Web sites, and posed as foreign buyers of broken CRTs.
Item Description:	Title from title screen (viewed on Sept. 17, 2008). "August 2008." "GAO-08-1044." Electronic resource.
Physical Description:	ii, 62 pages : digital, PDF file.
Format:	Mode of access: Internet from GPO Access web site. Address as of 11/18/08: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=gao&docid=f:d081044.pdf ; current access available via PURL.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references.