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Landfills an Environment Problems

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Submitted By rgrossley50
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The Landfills and Environmental Problems
SCIE210 – 1303B – 10
American InterContinental University
09/22/2013

Abstract
This paper will talk about what are an open dump and the problems with it. It will also talk about the early landfills and also the problem with. I will include leachate, methane, incomplete decomposition, and settling. It talks the modern landfill and the differences, and the improvement of landfills. It will also discuss the landfill I chosen and the innovation that is implemented, and what will reduce the environmental problems.

Introduction: Solid waste is discarded garbage other than fluids. In the United States in 1996, almost 210 million tons o and 4.3 lb. (2kg) per person daily (up from 2.7lb./1.2kg in 1960) was collected and disposed of by municipalities. In the year, municipal trash which included 12.4 million tons of glass and around 80 million tons of paper and paperboard is by far the constituent, and therefore tonnages of food residues, yard trimming, textiles, plastics, and sludge formed of sewage treatment were produced. So the amount of increase has been slow somewhat by recycling and composition programs and improvements in packaging, the amount of solid waste continues to increase annually.
What are open dumps and the problems? Open dumps are discarded loads of household trash, bags of yard excess, broken appliances, used tires and with pieces of debris, that is pipes, wood, pieces of shingles, and asbestos that can endanger the health of peoples, animals, and the globe. These dumps are known to be found in empty lots, on the roadsides. An open dump is unlawful garbage site and not be baffled with a permitted municipal solid garbage landfill or recycling center for an open dump that can health, safety and environment threats. The threats of an open dump is that it can create fires or explosion, it can cause breathing problems from the toxic gases, it can cause kids to be injury from playing around the open dump, and an open dump could carried diseases that cause by flies, rodents and mosquitoes. In an open dump there could be polluted in streams, lakes and rives. Also the soil and the drinking water can be contaminated from an open dump, and also an open dump can lower the quality of life in nearby resident and the community (kankakeehelth.org, 2010).
What are early landfills and the problems in early landfills? In the 1960’s, the amount of garbage was inclined of by burning in an open dump. It decreases the amount of garbage and extended the dump’s life span and the trash don’t burn as well, the furnaces were use to burn the waste completely. The problems with early landfills were a risk on people health. There was a risk for development of abnormalities, low birth weights, and cancer. The exposure to methane and other gases are released into the air from early landfills, as the organic matter decomposes is especially presumed of creating such problems. Women are more likely at higher risk of stomach and cervical cancer that staying nearby an early landfill and men are even greater risk of stomach, liver, and prostate cancer. Also another risk with early landfills is the groundwater contamination poses other main risk, such as, paints, batteries, and cleaners that can directly leak into underground aquifers used for drinking water. The leachate management had plenty of lower restriction on kinds of objects that were dumped, so there were no methane management and the incomplete decomposition, and settling was excessive because only a small amount of waste were being recycled (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2011).
What are modern landfills and the differences between an early landfill? The modern landfill is a bigger area that is built to just receiving waste. In today’s landfill is different from the older landfill. The modern landfills are established and utilized to strict environmental principle that includes liners to protect groundwater. The difference in the newer landfill is that the waste energy facilities accept solid waste and burning at very high temperatures that is producing heat, which were converted into water. Another modern landfill in technology working that is more efficient is a gas to energy plant, and uses the methane gas to excrete from the landfill as an alternative energy source. The methane gas is pipe out of the landfill and burned in the flare. The modern leachate collection and treatment systems to make sure leachate is secure eradicate from the landfill and properly treated to prevent contamination of round about environment. The modern landfill of today has custom design leachate control system, such as the environmental protection, local climate, leachate composition, and waste type. The modern landfill have the gas monitoring gas system is that is available to ensure landfill is functioning properly and the gas emission do not exceed the EPA regulation. The groundwater monitoring to ensure of the integrity of surrounding environment, permanent, and the ground water monitoring stations are installed. Things to help save the environment is turn the water off while washing hands and only while rinsing, turn off lights when you leave the room, use rechargeable batteries, use cars less and carpool more, wash clothes in cold water, set computer in sleep mode, and recycle paper, magazines and newspaper (keepoklahamabeautiful.com, 2013).
Puente Hills Landfill: The Puente Hills landfill has been owned and operated by Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County since 1970. Beyond the managing the sanitary disposal of solid waste, the sanitation districts are committed to being a good neighbor to the surrounding communities. There is 13,000 tons of trash being dump everyday in the Puente Hills landfill. In the groundwater protection the districts have implemented several features for extra precaution, the site was chosen for its natural containment geography and that’s because it was not located over a water supply. Underground barriers have been constructed downstream of fill areas to contain subsurface water on site. Oder, dust and litter are under control are important elements in maintaining good air quality. Moveable recycle plastic fences also surround the operation areas to capture blowing litter on a windy day and innovative bird control programs. Green waste recycling was implemented for garden waste and recycling on an alternative daily cover and mulch. Also asphalt and ash recycling, which asphalt waste along with treated ash from the two refuse energy facilities is used at landfill to build roads disposal areas use during raining season. Refrigerator, appliances and metal recycling is great ideal to recycle air condition so that remaining metal is a wide range source that is sold to scrap salvagers. Water palettes recycling are great so they use them to sell back to local business and they are broken down, and recycle (lacsd.org, 2002)
Conclusion:
Dumps are the old way of trashing garbage and the modern landfills are more save and less hazard to the environment and reduce pollution in the air. The Puente Hills landfill has did a great job by recycling a lot of things that can be use for others.

References
Puente Hills Landfill, (2002), retrieved from, http://www.lacsd.org-civica-file-banks-blobdload.aspBlodId=3708. Retrieved 09/18/2013.
Open Dumps – Nuisance & Solid Waste Kankakee County Health Department (KCHD), (2010), retrieved from, http://www.kankakeehealth.org/environmental-health/nuisance-solid-waste/open-dumps.html. Retrieved 09/18/2013.
Talking Trash the Economic and Environmental Issues of Landfills, (2011), retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566504/? Retrieved 09/19/2013.
21st Century Landfills Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, (2013), retrieved from, http://www.keepoklahomabeautiful.com/21st-century-landfills. Retrieved 09/20/2013.

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