Landfill Gas Generation And Collection From Waste

In 1969 it was discovered that the site was leaching due to a lack of a bottom liner. The landfill was leaching volatile organic compounds (VOC), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and explosive landfill gases (LFG).

In this example, the school installed a 50,000-gallon tank below the frost level in the ground. The tank is made from recycled plastic. The water is stored in the underground tank and then it is cleaned before it is transferred to a 600-gallon holding tank in the basement of the school (Pushard, n.d.). This water is used in the toilets and in the irrigation systems. Any flushed water or overflow rainwater goes into the on-site wetlands which are a rubber-lined rock-filled pond where plants are grown in septic water and the micro-organisms and plants feed off the pollutants. The clean water is then pumped into the ground to help recharge the aquifer (Pushard,

Assessments began to take place in the mid 1980’s, shortly after the site made the National Priorities list in 1983. Relevant standards and guidance levels were used to measure the effect of the Helen Kramer Landfill. The initiation of the EPA’s remedial investigation and feasibility study deemed the nature of the Helen Kramer landfill as an extreme risk to the environment, characterizing the site “by randomly placed, uncompacted, and uncovered refuse, with numerous settlement cracks which vented methane and water vapor” (2). According to the EPA, several million gallons of chemical wastes and over two million cubic yards of solid waste were estimated to have been disposed of at the landfill (2). Studies were performed by the EPA, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, federal natural resource trustees in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to evaluate the onsite and nearby environmental effects due to the landfill. During these studies, contaminants were detected in air, sediments, and aquifers, including high levels of volatile organic compounds and heavy metals in the air and sediments. VOCS and heavy metals expose humans to carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and reproductive toxicants. The assessments also detected numerous contaminants such as (but not limited to),

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2014, January 10). Landfills, Municipal Solid Waste | US EPA. Retrieved from http://www3.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/landfill.htm

The purpose of the landfill was to bury the large amount of contaminated the soil with toxic Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), a class of chemicals so toxic that Congress banned production later. The whole story began in 1973 when Ward PCB Transformers Company dumped more than 30,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated oil on the side of state roads in 14 North Carolina counties. The trucker, who was responsible for taking the oil to a facility to be recycled, disposed of it discreetly and illegally. The person in charge of the company and the trucker was sent to jail for a short time for their negligence on the matter. Contaminants left in the truck and factory was detoxified. However, the area around the factory as well as the lakes and rivers close to the road had been polluted. As a result, more than 60,000 tons of oils were polluted with toxic PCB.

In addition, there exist some environmental risks related to producing landfill. Even though the Australian Federal Government is not offering incentives to repurpose waste, some communities and State and Local governments are offering incentives for this practice. The main purpose of this is to avoid the disposing of waste in landfills, due to the fact that it requires so much time, energy and space, injuring our planet's health (McCabe,

Currently, landfills are responsible for 15 million tonnes of C02 in our atmosphere each year. When garbage decomposes, it creates methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This contributes to greenhouse gasses and damages the ozone layer. Landfills take up space, as well as being dangerous and toxic. Rubbish that ends up in our oceans can cause harm to our marine life and poison our water.

Have you ever wondered where all the trash goes that you throw out? Most of it ends up in landfills, gets burned or ends up on the street. Landfills are the most cost-efficient ways to get rid of trash for places like the United States but at what price. When waste disintegrates in landfills and water passes through the waste, the resulting liquid is called leachate. When leachate run off encounter local rivers and lakes it can contaminate the water and destroy whole eco systems that live in these areas. Landfill gas consists of naturally occurring methane and carbon dioxide, which form inside the landfill as the waste decomposes. As the gases form, pressure builds up inside a landfill, forcing the gases to move. Some of the gases escape through

In Tallassee, Alabama, there is a landfill. This is not just a small-town dump, this is one of the largest landfills in the state of Alabama. In fact, according to the Huffington Post, "around 4:00 a.m. most mornings, a processional of trash-transporting semis thunder over old local bridges" to drop off their first loads.

The United States produces roughly 250 million tons of solid waste, or garbage, on an annual basis. This number equates to 4.4 pounds of solid waste created by every American on a daily basis (Miller, Meindl, & Caradine, 2016). The recycling rate in the U.S. is around 35%, meaning over 165 million tons of waste is placed in the nation’s landfills or incinerated each year (Mozo-Reyes, Jambeck, Reeves, & Johnsen, 2015). Landfilling recyclables contributes to a greater strain on global resources because materials that may have been reused must now be replaced (Miller, et.al. 2016). Landfilling waste also contributes to air pollution through the release of methane (Delkash, Zhou, and Singh, 2016) and poses threats to groundwater near landfills (Talalaj & Biedka, 2016). As the population of the nation (and the world) increases, strategies must be found to reuse resources rather than simply disposing of them.

There’s a difference between a dump and a landfill. A dump is a hole in the ground where trash is disposed of. A landfill is a structure built on

The legislation of the two state laws (the Long Island Landfill Law of 1983, and the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988) controls solid waste management activities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Since then, factors such as mismanaged land filling and Landfill closures have led to a fundamental shift in the roles of local governments and the private sector relating to the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste and recyclables.

The major challenge for both the Gude and Millersville landfills was the threat of contamination from chemical pollution. Neither site managed to escape the stigma associated waste management, however Millersville ultimately had better government intervention and public interest. The Gude landfill is not as fortunate, and also had to contend with the complaints of foul odors emanating from the facility site and permeating the homes of nearby residents. Many homeowners had to endure the smell of rotten eggs, garbage and spoiling fish.

Anywhere you look around the United States landfills can be found. If you are lucky enough to pass by one, the site is probably seen reaching capacity. Sometimes you might not even see them before your nose catches the putrid scent. These landfill sites sure are not popular but they are very much a necessity to our lives. Imagine what we would do with all the trash if we did not have somewhere to go with it? Unfortunately, landfill sites do have negative side effects on the environment. Three of the top concerns related to landfills are toxins released in the air coming from items such as electronic waste, liquid trash contaminating the land and waterways, and greenhouse gas emissions like methane. With the world on watch with heightened awareness

As a business or a homeowner, you have a social requirement to protect the environment. All too often, construction sites encounter hazardous materials that could come in contact with drinking water. With a dumpster readily available, you can avoid contaminating the environment by using environmentally safe dumpsters. Additionally, when you choose the right dumpster company, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing they disposed of your hazardous materials properly.