WASTE DUMP LANDFILLS.   Term Paper ID:17252 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Garbage (toxic & non-toxic) problems, statistics, waste-to-energy plants, scrubbers, costs, incinerators, recycling, state laws.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Garbage (toxic & non-toxic) problems, statistics, waste-to-energy plants, scrubbers, costs, incinerators, recycling, state laws. Paper Introduction: Landfills Only in recent years has there been a growing awareness in the United States concerning waste dump sites. Landfills, as they are known, first came into public view in 1978 when the Love Canal incident in Niagara Falls, New York was revealed. It was discovered that toxic wastes that had been dumped into the canal in previous years by Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation had begun to seep up into houses and schools that had been built ignorantly upon the dump site. The wastes were first suspected of causing health hazards when numerous occurrences of miscarriages and birth defects were reported from the area near the canal. In 1980, President Carter declared the canal an emergency area that demanded immediate attention. He evacuated 710 families, joining another 239 families that had already Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Over 4 states so far have begun operating, building, orconsidering waste-to-energy plants, which turn garbage into energy(Hershkowitz, 1987). The price of scrubbers can add $5 to $1 to the $2 to $35 tippingfee that waste-to-energy plant operators charge for burning each ton ofgarbage (Hershkowitz, 1987). When it is realized that U.S. One suggested way to get rid of the waste is through wasteto-energyplants. So, while the search continues, no regulations havebeen set, and more and more toxic ash is escaping into our environment. References Davis, T. Deciding what to do to get rid of the growing waste is a problem thatneeds immediate evaluation-and attention. There are as many as 8 U.S. Upon recognition of the problem, other wastedumps, both toxic and non-toxic, began to be carefully examined for healthhazards. It was discovered that toxic wastes that hadbeen dumped into the canal in previous years by Hooker Chemicals andPlastics Corporation had begun to seep up into houses and schools that hadbeen built ignorantly upon the dump site. Again, the Swedes have strictenforcement on this, while the United States is still trying to find a wayto test its toxicity. No matterwhat the cost, we will always need clean air, water, and land, and it isour obligation to try to decrease the health hazards that we have createdin order to ensure a healthier future for generations to come. communities thatrecycle one or more items, but reductions are not as high as in Japan. (1985, March). The problem is mostserious in the Northeast where there are more metropolises within fewermiles of each other, unlike the Midwest or West where there are fewer largecities close together, and there is more cheap land we can buy to createlandfills. 28-35. InSouthern California, biodegradable items make up more than one-third ofhousehold garbage (Sunset, 1989). In contrast, in Japan, more than 95 percent of all newspapers, 5 percentof glass bottles, and 7 percent of steel and aluminum cans are recoveredand recycled into other goods (Hershkowitz, 1987). In fact, according to theNew York Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. This is done when waste is burned at a very hightemperature in a furnace lined with water-filled tubes. Heat produced fromburning generates the steam, which is then used to heat or cool buildingsor homes, or to create electricity. These debris getground and aged, and then are used as compost in public areas, such asparks. Itviolates state and federal laws by pollution groundwater, particularly thenearby Arthur Kill waterway with 4 million gallons of toxic liquid each day(Hershkowitz, 1987). In order to do this, codes identifying the resinscould show what can and cannot be used in making certain things (Sunset,1989). At least 14 states so far have passed laws that either promote orrequire recycling of residential garbage, most of these located in theNortheast, West Coast, and mid-Atlantic areas of the country (Goldoftas,1987). (1987, November/December). They now accept biodegradable productssuch as cut grass, weeds, fruit peelings, and paper bags. Landfills Only in recent years has there been a growing awareness in the UnitedStates concerning waste dump sites. 22 . Compared to Sweden, which creates about twopounds of garbage per person per day, U.S. Through this process, the plantsreduce the volume of the solid trash up to 9 percent, making the trashmore compact. Yet, if we reallywant to cut down on waste and reduce the need for landfills, recycling is avery realistic solution. Many skeptics claim thatthere will have to be a very good incentive plan to get Americans toparticipate in this program because of the extra time it will take toseparate the waste and take it to the recycling center. In order to save our environment, it will be necessary for theAmerican public to pay more attention to it and attempt to solve ourpollution problems. In past years, it was the ecologist and environmentally aware that wouldseparate their waste into separate groups to take them to the recyclingcenter: aluminum cans, glass (colored and clear), and paper. This lime solution also controls sulfur dioxide (SO2), acontributor to acid rain. The plasticgoods can be ground into pellets, and then remolded into fence posts,carpeting, and other items. One way to reduce the need for landfills since they are getting socrowded, is to work on recycling the waste that we throw away. Now, manycenters take more than these items. residents create from four tosix. The acidgases mix with the lime solution and form non-acidic, non-toxic calciumsalts. One hazard occurs when plastics, whichcontain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are burned, they can create dioxin, whichis suspected of being carcinogenic. Inthis, the citizens receive weekly quotas of tissue paper, napkins, andtoilet paper in return for their week's worth of newspapers. Glass is historically made into other glass objects, and aluminumcans are popular recyclable items creating other aluminum cans. The perfect solution to the problem would be toincorporate both incinerators, that produce energy, as well as recyclingprograms to "recreate" other goods. Plastics, though, pose problems for recyclingcenters because some produce resins, of which only one type can be used tocreate recycled goods. 26-34. Plastics can also be recycled.Recycling is a better choice than burning because of the hazards caused bythe chemicals emitted by the plastics, as discussed earlier. Burning trash: How could it work.Technology Review, 9 , pp. Accordingto a recent EPA report on recycling, only ten to 15 percent of the U.S.'swaste is recycled, but should go up to at least 25 percent by 1992. Experts speculated that the toxic chemicals mayhave caused chromosomal damage to the residents of the area, as well aschromosomal aberrations which were frequently linked to cancer and geneticdamage in the offspring. There are more than 5 communities nationwide which offer curbsidecollection of glass, paper, metal, and other various materials. The only items that are left that go to the landfills arethe noncombustible items. Garbage: To burn or not to burn. T. Another problem with incinerators is that of the disposal of the left-over ash, which is highly toxic. Sunset, p. Where will all the garbage go?Atlantic, pp. Technology Review, 9 , pp. Landfills, as they are known, firstcame into public view in 1978 when the Love Canal incident in NiagaraFalls, New York was revealed. Technology Review, 9 , p. What does not burn is then dumped at a landfill. Recycling: Coming of age. waste-to-energyplants emit more than 4 times the hydrogen chloride created by coal-burning facilities, which is a dangerous amount. We should write to our Congressmenand Senators to complain about the problem, and encourage laws to helppromote the plan. However simple this whole procedure seems, there is much oppositionto it. 19. Another way of reducing the waste going to landfills is by recycling. This incentive will be needed because our cultureis one of luxury and ease, where we simply throw things away without havingto really worry about what will be done with the waste. (1987, February/March). Facing-up to the garbage challenge. Dioxin can also becontrolled by scrubbers, as shown in other countries, such as Sweden.Here, strict limits on dioxin emission are set, unlike the United Stateswhere no standards for incinerator emission or human exposure have beenset. 3 -35.----------------------- 3 Perhaps therecould be a trade-off, as in Japan under the "chirigami kokan" plan, or moremonetary compensation. towns and cities create more than41 , tons of solid waste each day, it is obvious that we are running outof room for the garbage. In New York City, Fresh Kills is the world's largest landfillsight, covering 3 acres enough room for 2 football fields. Experts on waste and chemicals have since found numerouspreviously unsuspected dangers from nontoxic waste, and the ways ofdisposing of it. In the United States, however, only two of 7 high volume incinerators use a similar scrubber procedure, causing morehydrogen chloride to escape into the environment. MacFayden, J. (1989, March). He evacuated 71 families, joining another 239families that had already abandoned their homes when the waste had firstbeen discovered in 1978. It is not necessary to burn items thatcan be cleaned and made into other items. Again, there is opposition to this idea. Goldoftas, B. In one year, Americans dispose of 22 million tons of garbage in some9244 landfills across the nation (Sunset, 1989). They have a programknown as "chirigami kokan," literally meaning tissue paper exchange. The ash must be carefully collected fromthe plant and disposed of securely in landfills so dioxin and heavy metalscannot contaminate water supplies. The wastes were first suspectedof causing health hazards when numerous occurrences of miscarriages andbirth defects were reported from the area near the canal. Many involved in this industry claim theseprices to be too high, but technology to stop these pollutants is importantto society, and human health should not be given a dollar value. But what needs to be done tomake a significant impact on the landfill problem is to have all Americanswork to increase the recycling effort. These are affecting both our ecological system, as wellas human physiology. (1987, July). Even though it accommodates much waste, it will soonbe forced to accept all 25, tons of solid waste produced by theresidents of New York each day because of the closure of other landfills inNew York. In Oregon's EugeneSpringfield area, 2 percent is deducted from thelandfill's disposal fee for those who bring debris for composition. In Japan, in order tocontain the high levels of hydrogen chloride, the plastics are separatedand scrubbers are used to spray a lime and water mixture on them. TheUnited States has not made recycling an important issue, but it shouldbecome one in the near future to help resolve the problem of the landfills. First, environmentalists claim that the plants emit many hazardouschemicals into the ambient air. In 198 ,President Carter declared the canal an emergency area that demandedimmediate attention. We must work now to stop the problem of overcrowdedlandfills so they won't cause problems for future generations. Bulkier itemsthat cannot be recycled, such as parts of bikes or other machines, are sentto a recycling cultural center where the disabled and handicapped repairand resell them. We shouldattempt to separate our wastes and take them to a recycling center, wherewe know that they will be made into other products, and will not bepolluting our land, air, or water supply. Hershkowitz, A. Burning the plastics also producetoxic gases such as hydrogen chloride (Hershkowitz, 1987), which causes eyeand respiratory irritation, contributes to acid rain, and destroys metaland air-cleaning parts of the factory itself. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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