1. Landfills

2. Most of our garbage is placed in landfills – Originally a cheap way to dispose waste, not built to protect environment Regulated under RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) – Location: not on floodplain, wetland, faults – Must have liners and leachate collection systems – Groundwater must be monitored, even after landfill closes

3. 5. Landfills Sanitary Landfills: covered every day – minimizes odor, escaping gases, animal access, surface water run off) Secure landfill: Designed for hazardous waste, built with multiple barriers

4. Landfills Environmental risks of landfills – Access to wastes by animals (insects, rats, vultures, gulls) – Methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, from decomposition – Heavy metal (Pb, Cr, Fe) contamination of soil. – Leachate: chemicals dissolve in water moving through, can contaminate ground and surface water Social issues: – Odor, traffic, land values. – Environmental Justice: Poor communities bear disproportionate risk – Where to put them? NIMBY!!!! (not in my backyard)