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530 lines
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530 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
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To: Activists concerned about landfills
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Fr: Greenpeace Research Division
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Da: 2 May 1989
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If landfills are an issue in your area, you should find the
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following information of interest:
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"Disposal of "nonhazardous" solid waste is regulated under
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Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
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These Subtitle D wastes include many different types of waste
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streams, such as municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and oil
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and gas waste."
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"More than 11 Billion Tons of Subtitle D Waste Are Produced
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Annually in the United States. Of this total more than 95 percent
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are industrial nonhazardous waste, oil and gas waste, mining waste,
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and municipal solid waste. Each type of waste presents unique
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management problems and risks."
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"There are 226,732 Subtitle D units in the United States.
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Eighty-four percent of this total are surface impoundments, 8
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percent are land application units, 6 percent are landfills, and 2
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percent are industrial waste piles. Of the nearly 13,000 landfill
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units identified, 6,584 are municipal solid waste landfill units."
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"Shortages of Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Capacity are
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Occurring in Some Areas of the Nation. The shortages are due to
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several factors: (1) 83 percent of the municipal solid waste
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generated in 1986 was landfilled; (2) 45 percent of all municipal
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solid waste landfills will close by 1991; (3) some States have not
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conducted long-term planning; and (4) siting of new disposal
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facilities is difficult."
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"Municipal solid waste landfills have degraded and may continue
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to degrade the environment."
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"... the data indicate that releases to the ground water from
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municipal solid waste landfills present potential risks to human
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health."
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"Acute human health impacts associated with methane releases have
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been documented."
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"... the limited available data on industrial Subtitle D
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facilities indicate that there is cause for concern and a need for
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further study. Current findings include: (1) the use of design
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controls at industrial facilities is very limited; (2) the number of
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industrial facilities is large and the amount of industrial
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nonhazardous waste generated annually dwarfs the amount of municipal
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solid waste; ..."
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"Waste tires, infections waste, and municipal waste combustion
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ash are examples of special Subtitle D wastes. The special
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management concerns posed by these waste streams arise from the
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unique characteristics of these wastes. Current data are not
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sufficient to estimate reliably the risks posed by these wastes."
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"Federal and some State solid waste regulations lack the
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following essential requirements: location criteria, appropriate
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design criteria, ground-water monitoring, corrective action, closure
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and post-closure care, and financial responsibility."
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1
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"... HSWA [1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA]
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requires EPA to revise the current criteria for facilities that may
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receive household hazardous waste or small-quantity generator
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hazardous waste."
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"... the Subtitle D waste stream is very diverse. Such different
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waste types as waste tires, infectious waste, industrial
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nonhazardous waste, and municipal solid wastes are all regulated
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under Subtitle D of RCRA. .. the industrial nonhazardous waste
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category includes waste from the pulp and paper industry, the
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organic chemical industry, the textile manufacturing industry and a
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variety of other industries."
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"Each Subtitle D waste type presents unique problems and risks."
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"Table 1. Subtitle D Waste Categories and Quantities
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Estimated Annual Generation Rate
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Waste Category (million tons)
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Industrial Nonhazardous Waste 7,600 (a,b)
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Oil and Gas Waste (c)
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-drilling waste 129 - 871 (d,e)
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-produced waters 1,966 - 2,738 (e,f)
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Mining Waste (c) > 1,400 (g)
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Municipal Solid Waste 158 (b)
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-household hazardous waste 0.002 - 0.56 (b)
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Municipal Waste Combustion Ash 3.2 - 8.1 (h)
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Utility Waste (c)
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- ash 69 (i)
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-flue gas desulfurization waste 16 (i)
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Construction and Demolition Waste 31.5 (j)
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Municipal Sludge
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- wastewater treatment 6.9 (b)
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- water treatment 3.5 (b)
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Very-Small-Quantity Generator
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Hazardous Waste (<100 kg/mo) 0.2 (e)
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Waste Tires 240 million tires (g)
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Infectious Waste 2.1 (e,l)
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Agricultural Waste Unknown
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Approximate >11,387
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a: Not including industrial waste that is recycled or disposed
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of off site.
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b: These estimates are derived from 1986 data.
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c: Waste category is the subject of a separate report to
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Congress
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d: Converted to tons from barrels: 42 gals = 1 barrel, ~17
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lbs/gal
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e: These estimates are derived from 1985 data.
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f: Converted to tons from barrels: 42 gals = 1 barrel, ~8
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lbs/gal
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g: These estimates are derived from 1983 data.
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h: This estimate is derived from 1988 data.
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i: These estimates are derived from 1984 data.
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j: This estimate is derived from 1970 data.
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k: Small quantity generators (100-1,000 kg/mo) have been
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regulated under RCRA, Subtitle C, since October 1986. Before
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then, approximately 830,000 tons of small-quantity generator
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hazardous wastes were disposed of in Subtitle D facilities
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every year.
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2
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l: Includes only infectious hospital waste.
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"This study estimates that there are 226,732 Subtitle D units
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located at approximately 128,000 establishments. (An establishment
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may have more than one unit.) Of these units, 84 percent are
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surface impoundments, 8 percent are land application units, 6
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percent are landfills, and 2 percent are industrial waste piles ...
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More than half the units are oil and gas surface impoundments.
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Municipal solid waste landfills account for nearly half of the
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landfills and more than two-thirds of the land application units
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are municipal sewage sludge units."
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"Most of the Subtitle D facilities are privately owned. This is
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because of the overwhelming number of privately owned oil and gas,
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industrial, and mining waste facilities. In addition,
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approximately 17 percent of municipal solid waste landfills are
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privately owned. However, municipal solid waste landfills are
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predominantly publicly owned. Nearly 78 percent of municipal solid
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waste landfills are owned by local governments, approximately 4
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percent by the Federal government, and 1 percent by State
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government."
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"Table 2. Estimated Number of Active Subtitle D Units
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Unit Type
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Waste Category Landfills Surface Land Waste
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Impoundments Application Piles Total
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Municipal solid
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waste 6,584(a) b b b 6,584
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Industrial waste 2,757(c) 15,253 (c) 4,308(c) 5,335 (c) 27,654
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Municipal Sewage
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Sludge d 1,938 11,937 b 13,875
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Oil and Gas Waste (e) b 125,074 726 b 125,800
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Agricultural Waste d 17,159 b b 17,159
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Mining Waste (e) d 19,183 b d 19,813
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Municipal Runoff b 488 b b 488
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Construction and
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Demolition Debris 2,591 b b d 2,591
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Miscellaneous
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Waste 1,030 11,118 621 d 12,769
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Appropriate Total
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Number of Units 12,962 190,843 17,592 5,335 226,732
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a: The results of a previous census of the States indicated 9,300
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municipal solid waste landfills. However, the table entry is
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considered more accurate. It is based on a 1986 Survey.
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b: Unknown, none or few thought to exist.
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c: These estimates differ from previously published results from a
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census of the States. Table entries are considered to be more
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accurate. They are based on a 1986 Industrial Survey.
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d. Unknown, some may exist.
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e. Waste category is the subject of a separate report to Congress.
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"Approximately 83 percent of the municipal solid waste generated
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in 1986 was disposed of in landfills, while only 11 percent was
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recycled, and only 6 percent was combusted."
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"Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of all municipal solid waste
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landfills are expected to close within 15 years, with 45 percent
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expected to close in 5 years .... These shortages are becoming
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critical in densely populated areas of the country, particularly in
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the Northeast."
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"Municipal solid waste landfills and the waste they receive have
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been characterized reasonably well, and some impacts associated with
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municipal solid waste landfills have been identified. However,
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leachate and gas data for these facilities are limited."
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"Comparatively less is known about industrial wastes and
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facilities. Specific industrial waste streams have not been well
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characterized and little is known about the hazards they may pose."
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"... the data indicate that some municipal solid waste landfills
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present potential risks to human health. Human health impacts from
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exposure to contaminant releases to ground water from municipal
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solid waste landfills are difficult to isolate due to the complex
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interaction of factors that affect human health."
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"With regard to air emissions from municipal solid waste
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landfills, acute impacts associated with methane releases have been
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documented. The Agency is currently determining the extent of human
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health risks that may result from emission of volatile organic
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compounds, which have been estimated to be in the range of 200,000
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megagrams per year."
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"The number of industrial facilities is very large, as is the
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amount of waste they handle. Because current data are limited, it
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is not possible to draw conclusions regarding the risks posed by
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these facilities. Existing data however, do suggest that these
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facilities need to be further investigated to determine the need for
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additional regulatory action."
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"Data on post-1980 facilities [solid waste landfills] are very
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limited. (These newer sites represent only 30 percent of the
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municipal solid waste landfills in existence today)."
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"... on a national basis, EPA found little difference in the
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location, design, and operation of newer municipal solid waste
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landfills versus older landfills."
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"Some large-quantity [hazardous waste] generators may also be
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illegally disposing of their hazardous wastes in municipal solid
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waste landfills."
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"... environmental impacts and threats to human health have been
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documented at 163 municipal solid waste landfills."
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"Ground-water and surface water quality were adversely affected
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at 146 and 73 municipal solid waste landfills, respectively. While
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the impacts identified range in severity, 33 sites have contaminated
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drinking water resources, and three other sites pose a threat to
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water supply systems. For example, one active municipal solid waste
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landfill has contaminated a square mile of a sole-source aquifer and
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has closed a major community well field. ... Elevated levels of
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organics, including pesticides, and metal contaminants have been
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found in ground water and/or surface water at many sites."
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"Impacts on fish or other aquatic life have been documented at 13
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sites. ... this small number of cases does not likely reflect the
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actual number of occurrences."
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Superfund Statistics
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"To be listed on the NPL [Superfund National Priorities List], a
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site must present or be capable of presenting significant
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environmental and/or human health impacts. Of the 850 sites listed
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or proposed for listing on the NPL in May 1986, 184 sites (22
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percent) were identified as municipal solid waste landfills."
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"Halogenated organics, aromatics, and metals were found at most
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4
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of these sites. Releases of hazardous materials to ground water
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were documented at nearly 75 percent of the sites. Forty-three
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percent had releases to surface water, and 16 percent had
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significant air emission problems."
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Methane Damage
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"Methane is produced in municipal solid waste landfills through
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anaerobic decomposition of organic waste, and is explosive at
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sufficiently high concentrations (the lower explosive limit). ...
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where methane is not controlled, it can cause fires and explosions."
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Ground-Water Risk Assessment
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"To characterize typical leachate from a municipal solid waste
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landfill, the AGency chose eight constituents from more than 200
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chemical constituents found in municipal solid waste leachate. ...
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The eight constituents and the effect of concern for each are as
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follows:
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- Vinyl Chloride human health risk (cancer)
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- Arsenic human health risk (cancer)
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- Iron resource damage (taste and
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odor)
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- 1,1,2,2,-Tetrachloroethane human health risk (cancer)
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- Methylene chloride human health risk (cancer)
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- Antimony human health risk (systemic
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poisoning)
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- Carbon Tetrachloride human health risk (cancer)
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- Phenol resource damage (taste and odor)"
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The analysis estimates human health risk for the maximum exposed
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individual and the total population using ground water as a drinking
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water source within one mile of the facility. ... Current data
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indicate that 54 percent of existing municipal solid waste landfills
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have no downgradient drinking water wells within one mile."
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"For the subgroup of landfills located within one mile of a
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drinking water well (46 percent of all landfills), nearly 40 percent
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have risk exceeding 10(-6), with 14 percent posing risk in the 10(-
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5) to 10(-4) range."
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"The overall risk distribution changes significantly if it is
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assumed that all drinking water wells are located at the facility
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boundary (assumed to be 10 meters from the landfill unit). This
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scenario, although certainly very conservative, helps to identify
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the number of landfills that may contaminate the ground water
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beneath the facility above health-based limits. Making this
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assumption, over 67 percent of the landfills would hypothetically
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pose risks exceeding 10(-6), with approximately 35 percent posing
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risks in the 10(-5) to 10(-4) range."
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"In present-value terms, the Agency estimates that resource
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damage from municipal solid waste landfills ranges from $0 to more
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than $4 million per site. The model predicts that nearly a third of
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the landfills would have resource damage exceeding $200,000, and
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about 13 percent have resource damage in excess of $1 million."
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"The model estimates that the resulting total plume area from
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6,000 new facilities placed in existing landfill locations would be
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roughly 1,114 square miles (an area slightly smaller than the state
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of Rhode Island) over the 300-year modeling period."
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"Municipal solid waste landfills receive a variety of wastes ...
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While the overall waste stream is considered to be less hazardous
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than that received at RCRA Subtitle C (hazardous waste) facilities,
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5
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it nevertheless is a source of concern. By far, the majority of
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waste disposed of at municipal solid waste landfills is household
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waste (72 percent of the total waste stream). Household waste
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is primarily made up of nonhazardous materials such as paper. Some
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nonhazardous material, however may contain hazardous constituents,
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such as, lead in newsprint. In addition, within a landfill, some of
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these nonhazardous materials may degrade biologically and/or
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chemically and form more toxic constituents. ... Also, about 0.35 to
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0.40 percent of the overall household waste stream includes
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hazardous components. Constituents of concern in household
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hazardous waste include solvents, pesticides, other organics, acids,
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bases, medicines, and inks ...
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"Table 4: Wastes Disposed of in a Typical Municipal Solid Waste
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Landfill
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Waste Types Waste Composition Percentage (a)
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(mean value)
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Household Waste 72
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Commercial Waste 17
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Construction/Demolition Waste 6
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Industrial Process Waste 2.73
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Other Waste 1.18
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Sewage Sludge 0.50
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Other Incinerator Ash 0.22
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Asbestos-Containing Waste 0.16
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Municipal Incinerator Ash 0.08
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VSQG Hazardous Waste 0.08
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Infectious Waste 0.05
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(a) Percentages are rounded and do not add to 100 percent.
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"The other 28 percent of wastes received at municipal solid waste
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landfills includes very-small-quantity generator (VSQG) hazardous
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waste, commercial waste, industrial process waste, infectious waste,
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municipal incinerator ash, and asbestos-containing wastes. Some of
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these waste streams may contain potentially hazardous constituents.
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Congress, in the 1984 amendments to RCRA, was particularly concerned
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with VSQG waste. This waste stream accounts for a small part of the
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overall waste stream received at municipal solid waste landfills;
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however, some relatively hazardous or toxic materials are present in
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the VSQG waste stream ... Used lead acid batteries are the largest
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single source of VSQG waste.
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"Categories of Very-Small-Quantity Generator Wastes
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Arsenic waste Photographic wastes
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Cyanide wastes Solutions of sludges
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Dry cleaning filtration containing silver
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residues Solvent still bottoms
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Empty pesticide containers Spent plating wastes
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Heavy metal dust Spent solvents
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Heavy metal solutions Strong acids or alkalies
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Heavy metal waste materials Used lead-acid batteries
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Ignitable paint wastes Waste formaldehyde
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Ignitable wastes Waste inks containing flammable
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Ink sludges containing solvents or heavy metals
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chromium or lead Waste pesticides
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Mercury wastes Wastes containing ammonia
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Other reactive wastes Wastewater containing
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Paint wastes containing wood preservatives
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6
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heavy metals Wastewater sludges containing
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Pesticide solutions heavy metals"
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"Of the 70 sites [municipal solid waste landfills] for which EPA
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has data, 53 of them were analyzed for some organic constituents,
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and 62 for some inorganic constituents. ... A total of
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approximately 82 leachate constituents were found -- 63 organics and
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19 inorganics. ... the median concentration values of the leachate
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constituent data were compared to EPA drinking water and/or human
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health criteria concentrations. ... The median concentrations of
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all the carcinogens (nine constituents) were above the health-based
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criteria for these compounds. In a number of cases, the median
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concentrations of all the carcinogens (nine constituents) were above
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the health-based criteria for these compounds. In a number of
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cases, the median concentrations would take more than a 1000-fold
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dilution in order to meet the health criteria."
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"... leachate quality tends to change over time as the landfill
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moves through the stabilization process. However, where leachate
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data are available for both pre- and post-1980 landfills, no trend
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is apparent. Median concentrations for leachate from post-1980
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landfills are higher than those for pre-1980 landfills for
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approximately 50 percent of the constituents."
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"Landfill gas adds to the potential for impacts from municipal
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solid waste landfills ... Methane, which is explosive, accounts for
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about 50 percent by volume of the total gas stream. ... trace
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constituents (up to 2 percent) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
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and toxic constituents also may be present. Toxic constituents
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commonly found in municipal solid waste landfill gas include vinyl
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chloride, benzene, trichloroethylene, and methylene chloride."
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MSW Disposal on Indian Lands
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"At present there are 314 Federally recognized Indian Tribes and
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198 Alaskan Native villages in the United States covering an area of
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approximately 87,000 square miles ... The total population of this
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land is approximately one million. The Indian Health Service (IHS)
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has identified 576 municipal solid waste disposal sites on Indian
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lands."
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"Several EPA-sponsored surveys indicate that Indian Tribes
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perceive municipal solid waste disposal as current and future
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environmental problem. One survey reported that on half of the
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reservations surveyed (24) "community dumps" were used for disposal.
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Another reported 66 open dumps on Indian lands in EPA's Region 5
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alone. Roadside dumping and other illegal dumping were also
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reported. Landfill leachate was cited several times by the Tribes
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surveyed as the potential source of water pollution.
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[unfinished: more on Industrial Subtitle D facilities; waste
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tires; infectious waste; municipal solid waste combustion ash]
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--Source: "Report to Congress: Solid Waste Disposal in the United
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States," Volume I, EPA 530-SW-88-011, October 1988
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7
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=====================================================================
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Citizens fighting landfill problems will also be interested in
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the following resources:
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"Landfill Packet" A series of ten articles about problems with
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landfills, available from the Environmental Research Foundation,
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P O Box 3541, Princeton NJ 08543, 609-683-0707.
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"Debunking the Landfill High Technology Myth" A thick, excellent
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report on the facts behind what the disposal companies try to
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tell you. By Blythe Coza, produced by People Against Hazardous
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Landfill Sites, 219-759-1800.
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"Recycling Kit" Produced by Bryan Bence of Greenpeace. Write to
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Bryan at Greenpeace, 1436 U St NW, Washington DC 20009, 202-462-
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1177.
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---===000===---
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8
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