What area does the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) specifically oversee?

The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) focuses primarily on hazardous waste management. This includes oversight of regulations and programs designed to manage hazardous waste safely and effectively, ensuring that disposal methods protect human health and the environment. OSWER is responsible for enforcing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. This oversight includes the management of Superfund sites, which are contaminated areas requiring cleanup due to hazardous waste.

While other options relate to important environmental concerns, they fall under different agencies or divisions. Water quality monitoring and air pollution control are typically overseen by different offices within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or other environmental agencies. Designing landfill facilities may involve various agencies and regulations concerning waste disposal but is not the specific focus of OSWER, which is more concerned with managing hazardous waste rather than the structural design of disposal sites. Thus, the emphasis on hazardous waste management aligns perfectly with OSWER's primary missions and activities.