solid waste

dumps

An uncovered site used for disposal without any environmental controls.

landfills

Sanitary landfills are well-engineered, well controlled land disposal sites for solid, non-hazardous waste in which delivered wastes are spread and compacted into layers

incinerators

Waste management process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash

reducing

"Packaging" #1 Source of MSW, Personal and Source Reduction

reusing

Vintage items at garage sales, Refillable beverage containers, Reusable shopping bags

recycling

Only ~13% of MSW

Composting

Enhances soil quality by adding nutrients to the soil and by improving moisture and nutrient retention, Egg shells, food scraps, grass, etc.

Close Loop Recycling "Primary Recycling"

Material becomes the same produce, Examples: Aluminum cans

Open Loop Recycling or "Secondary Recycling"

Material becomes a different product typical for plastics, Examples: Grocery bags formally a plastic bottle.

Municipal Compost Facilities

A typical facility collects almost 100,000 metric tons of food scraps and paper per year and turns it into usable compost. Most facilities have some kind of mechanized system to allow mixing and aeration of the organic material which speeds conversion to compost.

Municipal Compost Facilities process

1. Waste is dumped into tipping areas

Organic waste: Newspapers, leaves, grass, food scraps, woody materials, ect

2. Compostable and non compostable materials are separated.

Mixing drums

3. Non Compostable material is removed to landfills.

4. Compostable material is aerated and turned one or more times (to speed up aerobic respiration) for a period of 30 days to 1 year.

5. Composted material is allowed to cure

6. Finished compost is transported for use

Integrated Waste Management (IWM)

a method that seeks to develop as many options as possible to reduce environmental harm and cost.

Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost → No waste/reduced waste strategies

Burn, bury → Disposal strategies.

Modern Sanitary Landfills

A landfill constructed today has many features to keep components of the solid waste from entering the soil, water table, or nearby streams. Some of the most important environmental features are clay liner, the leachate collection system, the cap→ which prevents additional water from entering the landfill → and, if present, the methane extraction system

Modern Sanitary Landfills composition

1. Solid waste is transported to landfill

2. Waste is compacted by a specialized machine

3. Leachate collection system removes water and contaminants and carries them to a wastewater treatment plant

4. Landfill is capped and covered with soil and then planted with vegetation

5. Methane produced in closed cells is extracted and either burned off or collected for use as fuel.

Groundwater has to monitored periodically.

Many have the ability to extract methane gas → series of pipes → captures methane. (CH4)

Not much air down there.

Anaerobic respiration

Hazardous Waste

liquid, solid, gaseous, or sludge waste material that is harmful to humans or ecosystems.

Have to at least one of the following to be hazardous: corrosive, ignitable, reactive or toxic

corrosive

corrodes metal → can be acid (PH 2 or lower or bases PH 12 above) Can eat through skin, clothing

ignitable

directly flammable or at flash point (catch on fire below 140 degrees) Household paints and other solvents (cleaning solvents and for crafts) Usually kept in garages.

reactive

reactive at normal conditions → explodes or releases harmful chemicals.

toxic

fatal to humans or animals in small doses. carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens

carcinogens

cause cancer

mutagens

mutate DNA/ change base sequence → can also lead to cancer

teratogens

disrupt or mutate developing embryo (Fetus) (HEAVILY METAL BASED)

HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE AMENDMENT ACT

Amendment to RCRA

Phased out land disposal of hazardous waste

Must be treated to non hazardous status before disposal in landfills

Comprehensive underground storage tank program with monitoring for leakage by mandatory soil testing.

-Residents are encouraged to keep hazardous household waste separate from their regular household waste. Collections are held periodically.

love canal summary

Love Canal is an aborted canal project branching off of the Niagara Falls River. It is the name of a 15 acre, working-class neighborhood of family homes built directly adjacent to the canal. From 1942 to 1953, Hooker Chemical Company, with government sanction, began using the partially dug canal as a chemical waste dump → canal consisted of around 21,000 tons of toxic chemicals including Carcinogens.

love canal results

governmental program established to help clean up hazardous waste sites and hold companies accountable for their own environmental responsibilities

CERCLA

SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ACT (SWDA)

First legislation addressing solid waste

Created National office of solid waste

Provided research, training, and demonstrations to promote better management strategies for collection, transport, and disposal of waste.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY ACT (RCRA 1976):

Major Amendment to the SWDA 1965

Change in tone from efficient disposal to waste minimization

Divided wastes into 2 categories → hazardous and nonhazardous

Designed to reduce or eliminate hazardous waste

Ensures tracking and disposal of hazardous waste. → Paper trail from point of origin to final disposal "cradle to grave"

HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE AMENDMENT ACT (HSWA 1984)

Amendment to RCRA

Phased out land disposal of hazardous waste

Must be treated to non hazardous status before disposal in landfills

Comprehensive underground storage tank program with monitoring for leakage by mandatory soil testing.

Excluded from RCRA (covered by other laws)

Domestic sewage, irrigation water, household hazardous

COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION AND LIABILITY ACT (CERCLA) (jimmy Carter due to NY/love canal)

Aka "superfund" act

Enacted by congress as a response to Love Canal Disaster

Authorized EPA to identify hazardous waste sites

Tens of thousands of sites identified in the US over the last 25 years

Determine dangers posed to health and environment

List what measures would be required to clean up

Compiled a list of the highest priority sites (aka superfund sites) needing immediate attention

NPL - national priority list

Action on NPL sites funded by taxes on petroleum/ chemical industries and assessments on various corporate pollutants.

Initially $1.6 billion allocated to hazardous substance response fund

SUPERFUND AMENDMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT (SARA 1986)

Enacted as a response to the Bhopal disaster, 1984

Part of this act "community Right-to-know Act"

Authorized EPA to produce annual reports -"Toxic-Release Inventory" (TRI)

Large facilities must report to EPA all toxic releases to environment

Releases down ~50% since the first TRI was published

Still ~7 billion pounds of toxic releases; most onto land

LAND BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM 1995

Assists state/local governments for cleanup of sites not contaminated enough for "superfund" listing

Contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped expanded.

Ex. Old factory, industrial areas, and waterfronts, dry cleaners, gas stations, landfills and railyards.

MUNICIPAL INCINERATION

MSW is combusted and the exhaust is filtered. Remaining ash is disposed of in a landfill. The resulting heat energy is used to make steam, which turns a generator to produce electricity