Final answer:
Regulatory groups designate hazardous waste generators as primarily responsible for ensuring the compliance and safety of hazardous material shipments from creation to disposal, in a 'cradle to grave' approach.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regulatory groups assign the primary responsibility for compliance and safety regarding the shipment of hazardous material to the generators of the hazardous waste. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), hazardous waste generators are the first link in the hazardous waste management system. It is their duty to ensure that the waste is correctly identified, managed, and treated prior to recycling or disposal.
Federal agencies such as the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have regulations in place that impact the transport and management of hazardous materials and wastes.
With respect to the transportation of hazardous materials, transporters are also regulated and must carry out their duties in compliance with public safety and environmental standards set by regulatory groups, but it is the generators who must oversee the ultimate fate of the waste, essentially managing it from 'cradle to grave'.