Municipal and Hazardous Waste Flashcards
Why is the amount of waste we are producing increasing?
Demographic changes
increased material consumption (cell phones, e-gadgets)
Demand for convenience ahead of the environment (if TV breads we don’t repair it we replace it)
Little economic incentive for Americans to reduce waste
Why is it difficult to create more landfills?
1) PUBLIC OPPOSITION
NIMBY - not in my backyard
LULU - locally unwanted land use
NIMEY - not in my election year
NIMTOO - not in my term of office
BANANA - build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone
NOPE - not on planet earth
2) RISING COST
3) EPA REGULATIONS
What is e-waste?
e-waste is the electronic waste that is generated from modern technological gadgets.
americans own 24 electronics products per house
electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials (metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture)
donating used electronics extends the lives of products
recycling electronics prevents valuable materials from going into the waste steam
list municipal solid waste methods from best to worst (from an environmental health perspective)
(best to worst)
1) Source Reduction and Reuse
2) recycling/Composting
3) Energy Recovery
4) Treatment & Disposal
Describe Source Reduction and Reuse
Better than recycling
minimize the amount of waste being generated
use less material per product
make products last longer
abandon the planned obsolescence approach
front-end approach to waste management
Describe Recycling
Recycling prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases
reduces water pollution
saves energy
conserves raw materials/resources
stimulates the development of greener technologies
reduces amount of waste sent to landfills
creates jobs
Describe Composting
an intentional , controlled decomposition of organic matter
yard trimmings and food residuals are 25% of the US MSW stream could be composted
enriches soil and reduces or eliminates need for chemical fertilizers
promote higher yields of agricultural crops
cost effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste
remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from storm water runoff
reduces pollution and greenhouse gases by diverting waste from the waste steam
Describe energy Recovery
Incinerators
aka - municipal waste combustors or waste to energy plants
Burn MSW at a very high temperature to generate electricity or steam power (recovery)
Metals from the residues of combustion can be recycled into scrap metal; remaining ash is deposited in landfills
kills microorganisms
Describe disadvantages of Incinerators
emissions may be potentially hazardous to human health and the environment: requires pollutant control technologies
Expensive: high operating costs
Maintenance intensive
ash is very toxic
what are the four major parts of a landfill
1) bottom liner
2) system for collecting leachate
3) cover
4) appropriate location that minimizes the contamination of groundwater
(**optional: methane capture system)
What are 2 landfill emissions? (describe each)
Leachate - liquid produced as water percolates through wastes, collecting contaminates
Landfill Gas- made up mostly of methane and carbon dioxide, also ammonia, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, VOC’s
How does a landfill work? (5 steps)
bottom lined with clay and sealed with thick plastic to contain leaks
a leachate sump collects leachates for further treatment
Garbage piled up in rows then compacted by bulldozers and rollers
Garbage is covered daily with soil
Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria aid in the decomposition of organic materials and produce methane gas
EPA requirements for Landfills
location restrictions: landfills may not be sited on floodplains, wetlands, earthquake zones, unstable land or airports
Landfills must have liners
landfills must have a leachate collection system
landfill operators must monitor groundwater
landfill operators must continue to monitor the landfill for 30 years after the closure
How long after a a closure of a landfill must the operators continue to monitor the landfill?
30 years
What does the resource conservation and recovery act (RCRA 1976) say?
Regulates ongoing operations involving the generation, transport and treatment/storage/disposal of hazardous waste
“Cradle-to-grave” approach
What is hazardous waste?
Byproducts that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed (EPA)
What are the four characteristics of hazardous waste?
Igniteability-can create fires, spontaneously combust, have a flashpoint of 140° or less
Corrosivity-substances that corrode storage tanks (pH < 2 or > 12.5) example battery acid
Reactivity-substances that are chemically unstable and may explode or generate poisonous gases (Cyanide and sulfide) example: lithium-sulfur batteries and explosives
Toxicity-substances that are injurious to health when ingested or inhaled. Example chlorine, ammonia, pesticides, formaldehyde, mercury, lead.
What are the methods for managing hazardous waste?
Land disposal
Storage
Incineration
Recycling/reclaimation
Explain hazardous-waste reclaimation
Material is reclaimed if it is processed to recover a usable product, or if it is regenerated.
Common hazardous waste reclaimation activities involve recovery of spent solvents (i.e. acetone) or metals, used oils, scrap metal
What is a Superfund?
Superfund is the federal government program to clean up the nations uncontrolled hazardous waste sites
Say journalist called national properties list
Also refers to fund established by the comprehensive environmental response, comprehensive and liability act of 1980 (CERCLA)
CERCLA enacted in the wake of the discovery of toxic waste dumps such as love Canal and times Beach in the 1970s
It allows the EPA to clean up such sites and to compel responsible parties to perform cleanups or reimbursed the government for EPA lead cleanups
What is love Canal
1890s canal started to be dug for dream community
Named after William T love
1920s economic depression partially done canal turned into municipal and industrial chemical dump
1953 Hooker chemical company (Occidental Petroleum) covered Konou/dump with dirt and sold it to the city for one dollar
Late 1950s homes and school built on the site
Toxic and carcinogenic compounds percolated up through the soil and corroded waste disposal drums could be seen breaking through the grounds of backyards
1970s reproductive problems, four out of 22 pregnancies were normal
1978 New York state Department of Health began collecting air and soil samples and found an increasing reproductive problems and high levels of chemical contaminants
1978 Pres. Carter declared national emergency
1978 love capital letters Association gave community of voice in decisions eventually families were relocated and paid restitution
What are some barriers to recycling
Attitudes-convenience, condition by advertising throwaway attitude towards waste not valued as a resource, out of sight out of mind.
Some people just don’t care
Economic- public-policy hinders recycling effort,
expense of sorting, transportation
Plastic virgin material less expensive then producing recycled material
Market-environmental cost is not reflected in the market price
How has the % of wast that is recycled changed over time?
overall increasing recycling rates, however the rise of recycling is leveling off
