LANDFILL ISSUESModern Landfill

4400 Mt. Pigsah Rd.York, pa 17402

The process of a landfill

biochemical reactions coupled with multiphase flow

Landfill as an option for waste disposal has emerged as a natural choice due to its economic benefits. Landfills were usually managed in a way that the moisture entering in could be minimized. The development of better liner materials, helped to prevent pollution leaching into the subsurface and manage gas collection. Because of this important factor we are able to covert waste into renewable energy.

Process by which waste is converted to energy

Good and bad contrast

PRO CON

Pros of landfill. Most new landfills are built as lined facility, with leachate collection and treatment on-site. Because the landfill is designed and built to store waste, this is thought to be a safe containment of our garbage.

Methane gas is collected at a number of municipal waste landfills and some landfills have diesel/gas blended fuel fired electrical generation stations built on them. You can research some of the work recently conducted by Ingenco (Ingenco.com). Therefore, a "free" source of fuel to generate electricity.

Upon closing of a landfill, some beneficial usage of these land resources have been realized. Certain closed landfills have become golf courses, ski mountains, etc.

Cons of Landfill. There are landfills that are currently utilized that are unlined. There are countless landfills that have been closed that were not built with the same level of scrutiny that our newer facilities have (unlined, minimal or no leachate collection and treatment).

There are countless hazardous wastes that are blended into the municipal waste stream. Ex. lead from batteries, mercury from light bulbs, heavy metals from tv and electronics, etc. When these hazardous waste steams find there way into municipal waste landfills, the contaminants can find their way into the aquifer and into our drinking water.

Landfills are typically very unatractive. Landfills are often constructed in low lying areas and built in cells that may encompass 50 to 150 acres (or more). They attract varmin, birds, bears and other not so attractive wildlife. They can have some odor that can often be detected outside the bounds of the property borders.

Overview the modern landfill

Recommendations

Maintain site fencing and all access restrictions.

Install additional monitoring and/or extraction wells as needed to control groundwater flow.

Provide on-site remedial workers with adequate protective equipment and training, and follow appropriate National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.

Site Characterization Recommendations

Conduct quarterly monitoring of nearby private residential wells to determine if groundwater migration is impacting these wells.

Conduct chemical-specific air monitoring of the on-site breathing zone for benzene and other VOCs to evaluate potential harmful health effects to on-site workers breathing this air.

Accumulation of Landfills

Modern LandfillsAs long as there are people on the planet, there will be garbage.  The rubbish often piles up in landfills that produce a harmful greenhouse gas called methane.  VOA's Stephanie Ho reports solid waste managers have been working to turn this methane into something good -- namely, clean energy.

Health Activities Recommendations Panel (HARP) Recommendations

“The data and information developed in the Public Health Assessment for Modern Landfill site, York County, Pennsylvania, has been evaluated by ATSDR's Health Activities Recommendation (HARP) for appropriate follow-up health activities. Although exposure to on-site workers may be currently occurring and probably has occurred in the past, this site is not being considered or follow-up health activities at this time because the levels and duration of exposure cannot be characterized. This site will be re-evaluated when the on-site breathing zone air sampling results, as recommended, are available.”

Conclusion

Based on the information reviewed, PADOH has concluded that this site represents no apparent public health hazard, since available data do not indicate that off-site humans are being or have been exposed to levels of contaminants that would be expected to cause adverse health effects, and there are no community-specific health outcome data to indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health. However, comprehensive data or information are not available for all environmental media to which on-site workers may be exposed. If the results of the following, recommended, chemical-specific air monitoring of the on-site breathing zone indicate the on-site air poses a health threat, the site may be reassessed and a Public Health Assessment Addendum prepared.