Using Environmental Simulations NIMBY Landfill Siting Kildare Environmental Health Using Environmental Simulations Linda Sigismondi, Ph.D.

Yoretown Landfill nearly full Needs new site 4 possibilities Evaluate Recommend

Yoretown

Landfill Siting Criteria Slope and terrain Soil Depth Soil Permeability Bedrock Aquifer Explosive Gas Migration Wells & Mines Access Zoning Location Residences Natural Features Nature Preserve Airports

Site Information

Landfill Site Comparisons Site A Site B Site C Site D Cost $30,900,000 $23,100,000 $34,200,000 28,200,000 (cubic ft.) 217,800,000 243,926,000 143,748,000 78,408,000 Top soil depth (ft.) 4 6 3 1 Adv. away from school, airport access out of town away from houses, town Disadv. summer wind 2 houses, airport commercial annex near river, stream, drainage, steep, mine, nature preserve Rec. no yes

Other Possibilities Transport trash to another area Incineration Recycling/Compost

Additions to Activity Build a landfill model Compare soil permeability Examine bedrock samples

An Environmental Health Simulation KILDARE, USA An Environmental Health Simulation

MAP OF KILDARE, USA N=10,000 1000 600 Lake Rainbow 500

SCENARIO 15 individuals diagnosed with illness Rash, arthritis progressing to seizures/paralysis Your group is a team of environmental sanitarians assigned to investigate the illness and control its spread. Money is available but use wisely since the more you spend the less is available for other town issues.

INITIAL OPTIONS Option 1A: Interview doctors involved in the diagnosis of the disease $300 Option 1B: Interview area business owners Option 1C: Interview those individuals who have fallen ill with the mysterious symptoms. Option 1D: Run tests to screen for pathogens and toxins in Lake Rainbow. $1,500 Option 1E: Conduct genetic screening of patients. Option 1F: Interview businesses where patients work. Option 1G: Conduct air emissions study of Kildare Industrial Park. $900 Option 1H: Review literature written on similar symptoms of patients occurring in 1919. $100 Option 1I: Conduct standard blood serum work on patients. This test will identify common pathogens, poisons, and blood chemistry abnormalities. $600 Option 1J: Conduct tests on patients’ home environments.

Choice Cost Result 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total Spent

CONCLUSION PART 1? all have lake and fish in common no common toxins or pathogens in lake, (air, soil) All are homozygous for gene for I-roll

OPTIONS PART 2 Option 2A: Conduct household water study. $400 Option 2B: Conduct local food study. $1,000 Option 2C: Conduct local stream study. $600 Option 2D: Conduct local air study. $500 Option 2E: Conduct specific analysis of blood serum on patients for the presence of rare pollutants. Option 2F: Conduct study of local soil. Option 2G: Conduct analysis of the waste discharged from the entire Kildare Industrial Park. Option 2H: Conduct study of game fish in Lake Rainbow. $700 Option 2I: Conduct study of city water supply. Option 2J: Conduct study of the waste discharged from individual industrial park businesses.

CONCLUSION PART 2? Chemical called I-Swing in Lake (legal levels) Discharged by EPC High concentration in game fish Those affected have high concentrations of U-shake in blood

OPTIONS PART 3 Option 3A: Study I-Swing in the food chain of Lake Rainbow $3,000 Option 3B: Study the interaction of I-Swing and the enzyme I-Roll. $3,500 Option 3C: Study the blood serum in people who have eaten the fish but have not fallen ill. $1,500 Option 3D: Study the metabolism of U-Shake in patients. Option 3E: Study U-Shake in the food chain of Lake Rainbow.

CONCLUSION PART 3 I-swing bioaccumulates Biomagnification of I-swing in food chain Those with I-roll convert I-swing to U-shake U-shake accumulates, causes symptoms

CONCLUSION PART 3 I-swing bioaccumulates Biomagnification of I-swing in food chain Those with I-roll convert I- swing to U-shake U-shake accumulates, causes symptoms

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS Solution 1: Solution 2: Solution 3: Solution 4: Though harsh, some have argued that little can and should be done. The genetic defect is rare and will be wiped out if not treated, since all inflicted will die. Solution 2: Genetic screening of the town at $250 a test. Warn homozygous recessive people for the I-Roll gene of danger in eating Lake Rainbow fish. Solution 3: Close down EPC until a filtering procedure can be developed to remove I-Swing. This process could take 1–5 years. Remove all fish from Lake Rainbow and restock with new fish. Solution 4: Fine EPC for dumping I-Swing into Lake Rainbow until I-Swing is removed from their waste. Remove all fish and restock the lake. Solution 5: Come up with an alternate solution.

Q & A

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