unit 8 apes - terrestrial pollution

What is terrestrial pollution?

Contamination of land from waste materials

Where is Love Canal located?

Niagara Falls, New York

Who was Love Canal named after?

William Love

What was Love Canal originally intended for?

A canal project that became a waste dump

What company used Love Canal as a dump site?

Hooker Chemical and Plastics

What covered the waste at Love Canal?

Clay cap and topsoil

Who bought the Love Canal land?

Niagara Falls School Board

Why was the land sold for $1?

It was contaminated with toxic waste

What warning did Hooker give?

Do not disturb the clay cap

What legal protection did Hooker include?

Disclaimer denying liability

What developments were built over Love Canal?

Homes, schools, roads, sewers

How did development affect Love Canal?

It broke the clay cap

How did the expressway worsen the issue?

Blocked groundwater flow, causing buildup

What symptoms did residents report?

Chemical smells and burns

Where did chemicals spread?

Basements, sewers, gardens, playgrounds

What actions were taken

Evacuations and school closures

Who declared it a disaster?

President Jimmy Carter

What happened to residents after the declaration?

They were relocated

What was installed after cleanup?

New clay cap and drainage system

What does the drainage system do?

Pumps waste to treatment facilities

What is Love Canal called today?

Black Creek Village

What must residents agree to today?

No safety guarantees

Lesson 1 from Love Canal?

Waste does not go away

Lesson 2 from Love Canal?

Waste can move

Lesson 3 from Love Canal?

Prevention is cheaper than cleanup

What law did Love Canal inspire?

Superfund Act

How long did cleanup take?

21 years

How much did cleanup cost?

$400 million

What does RCRA stand for?

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

What is the goal of RCRA?

Prevent unsafe disposal of hazardous waste

What system does RCRA require?

Cradle-to-grave tracking

What does cradle-to-grave track?

Waste from creation to disposal

Who enforces RCRA?

EPA

What inspections occur under RCRA?

Unannounced inspections

What does CERCLA stand for?

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

What is CERCLA also called?

Superfund Act

What does CERCLA do?

Cleans up hazardous waste sites

What list ranks hazardous sites?

National Priorities List

What principle guides CERCLA?

Polluters pay

What is solid waste?

Discarded non-liquid, non-gas material

What is MSW?

Municipal solid waste (household waste)

What is e-waste?

Discarded electronics

Examples of e-waste?

Phones, TVs, computers

Where is most waste disposed?

Landfills

What is a sanitary landfill?

Engineered site for safe waste disposal

What prevents leakage in landfills?

Plastic or clay liners

What is leachate?

Liquid formed from waste breakdown

Why is leachate dangerous?

Can contaminate groundwater

What gases are produced in landfills?

Methane

Why is methane important?

Can be collected or cause explosions

Why are landfills covered daily?

Reduce leakage and keep waste dry

What conditions must landfills maintain?

Stable conditions for decomposition

What type of waste is mainly accepted?

MSW

Examples of banned landfill items?

Tires, paints, electronics

Why are tires problematic?

Breed mosquitoes

What is incineration?

Burning waste at high temperatures

Benefit of incineration?

Reduces volume

Drawback of incineration?

Air pollution

What is ocean dumping?

Disposal of waste in oceans

What problem does ocean dumping cause?

Garbage patches

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

Large floating trash accumulation

How does ocean waste harm animals?

Entanglement and ingestion

What is hazardous waste?

Dangerous chemical waste

4 properties of hazardous waste?

Toxic, ignitable, corrosive, reactive

Examples of hazardous waste?

Cleaners, pesticides, gasoline, batteries

How is hazardous waste stored?

Steel drums

What happens after storage?

Encapsulated and sent to secure sites

Example of secure site?

Yucca Mountain

What is bioremediation?

Using bacteria to clean waste

What is phytoremediation?

Using plants to absorb pollutants

How does incineration treat hazardous waste?

Reduces toxicity

What happens to ash after incineration?

It remains hazardous

What is recycling?

Converting waste into new products

What is primary recycling?

Same product reuse

Example of primary recycling?

Aluminum cans to cans

What is secondary recycling?

Different product conversion

Example of secondary recycling?

Tires to roads

Benefit of recycling?

Reduces resource demand

Drawback of recycling?

Energy-intensive

How can e-waste be reduced?

Reuse and recycling

Why is e-waste dangerous?

Heavy metals

Examples of toxic metals in e-waste?

Lead and mercury

What happens if e-waste is mismanaged?

Groundwater contamination

What is landfill mitigation?

Reducing landfill impact

How can landfills generate energy?

Burning waste or gases

What gas is used for energy?

Methane

What is cogeneration?

Using waste gases to make electricity

What is composting?

Decomposition of organic matter

Examples of compost materials?

Food scraps, paper, yard waste

Benefit of composting?

Reduces landfill use

Another benefit of composting?

Creates fertilizer

Drawback of composting?

Odor

Another drawback of composting?

Pests