Waste Disposal

Waste Disposal

Mobro 4000

On March 22, 1987, an unassuming barge called the Mobro 4000 began a 6,000 mile voyage, looking for a port that would take its cargo--nearly 3,200 tons of trash. With its escort, the tugboat Break of Day, the Mobro would sail along the coast of the Eastern and Southern United States, down into the Gulf of Mexico and through the Bahamas, before finally returning to New York, still bearing its load of garbage.

Taken from “News of the Odd”http://www.newsoftheodd.com/index.html

Love Canal

1927

New Bedford

Excavation of PCB contaminated sediment

Woburn – WR Grace

Types of Waste• Domestic/Municipal Solid

Waste• Non-municipal Solid Waste

– Mining– Agriculture– Forestry– Industry

• Hazardous Waste– Toxic organics

• PCB’s; Dioxin– Toxic Inorganics– Reactive/Flammable

• Radioactive Waste– High level– Low level

Municipal Solid Waste

Special Concern• Tires• Plastics• Computers• Residual toxins

Methods of Disposal• Landfill

– Sanitary– Secure

• Incineration– Mass Burn, Modular, Refuse-derived– Hazardous

• Deep Well Injection

• Recycling• Composting• Source Reduction

– Reuse– Packaging– Alternatives

• Detoxification– Remediation

Waste Reduction• Reduction of waste associated with manufacturing and

packaging• Reuse• Recycling

– Systems based on sorting– Single stream systems

• Integrated Waste Management

Why Promote Composting, Recycling and Integrated Waste Management?

• Lack of sites for sanitary landfills• Reduced contamination of the waste stream• Reduction in the environmental impacts associated with mining and

mineral extraction• Reduction in environmental impacts associated with incineration• Energy Conservation (4x more energy required to produce an

aluminum can from virgin materials

Hazardous Wastes

Secure Landfill

Incineration

Cost Benefit Analysis

• Determination of potential environmental and human health effects for each alternative

• Political reality (NIMBY; willingness to comply)

• Economic analysis (marginal cost diagram, again)

• Internalization of External Costs

Legislative Approaches

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976/1986)• Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation

and Liability Act (Superfund, 1980)– National Priorities List

• Support of Brownfields Development• Ocean Dumping Ban (1988)• Permitting of Municipal Disposal Sites• Mandated Recycling• Increased Disposal Fees

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

CERCLA 1980