What is a primary goal of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regarding hazardous waste?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is fundamentally aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal. A primary goal of RCRA is to reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous waste as efficiently and quickly as possible. This objective is crucial because minimizing hazardous waste helps to reduce the risks associated with its management and potential contamination of air, water, and soil.

In its efforts to achieve this, RCRA establishes a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste, which includes strategies for waste minimization and encourages practices that reduce waste generation at the source. By focusing on reducing the amount of hazardous waste produced, RCRA promotes not only environmental sustainability but also public health and safety.

The other choices do not align with the core mission of RCRA. Increasing the generation of hazardous waste contradicts the act's goals, as does promoting its exportation, which would not address domestic concerns about hazardous waste management. While research into hazardous waste disposal is important, it is more of a secondary outcome rather than a primary goal of the RCRA itself. Thus, the central focus remains on reducing and ultimately eliminating the generation of hazardous waste.