AP Environmental Science Review

Chapter 21: Solid and Hazardous Waste

Love Canal — There Is No “Away”Love Canal — There Is No “Away”

• Between 1842-1953, Hooker Chemical sealed multiple chemical wastes into steel drums and dumped them into an old canal excavation (Love Canal).

• In 1953, the canal was filled and sold to Niagara Falls school board for $1.

• The company inserted a disclaimer denying liability for the wastes.

Love Canal — There Is No “Away”Love Canal — There Is No “Away”

• In 1957, Hooker Chemical warned the school not to disturb the site because of the toxic waste.– In 1959 an elementary school, playing fields

and homes were built disrupting the clay cap covering the wastes.

– In 1976, residents complained of chemical smells and chemical burns from the site.

Love Canal — There Is No “Away”Love Canal — There Is No “Away”

• It still is a controversy as to how much the chemicals at Love Canal injured or caused disease to the residents.

• Love Canal sparked creation of the Superfund law, which forced polluters to pay for cleaning up abandoned toxic waste dumps.

• It reminds us that a) we never really throw anything away; b) wastes often do not stay put; and c) preventing pollution is much safer and cheaper than trying to clean it up!

WASTING RESOURCES

• Solid waste: any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or gas.– Municipal solid waste (MSW) “garbage”: produce

directly from homes. – Industrial solid waste: produced indirectly by

industries that supply people with goods and services.

• Hazardous (toxic) waste: threatens human health or the environment because it is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable.

WASTING RESOURCESWASTING RESOURCES

• The United States produces about a third The United States produces about a third of the world’s solid waste and buries more of the world’s solid waste and buries more than half of it in landfills.than half of it in landfills.– About 98.5% is industrial solid waste.About 98.5% is industrial solid waste.– The remaining 1.5% is MSW.The remaining 1.5% is MSW.

• About 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills, About 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills, 30% is recycled or composted, and 15% is burned 30% is recycled or composted, and 15% is burned in incinerators.in incinerators.

Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous (toxic) wasteHazardous (toxic) waste: threatens human : threatens human health or the environment because it is toxic, health or the environment because it is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable.chemically active, corrosive or flammable.

• Mandated by Congress, haz wastes do NOT Mandated by Congress, haz wastes do NOT include: radioactive waste, toxic materials include: radioactive waste, toxic materials discarded by homes, mining waste, oil and gas-discarded by homes, mining waste, oil and gas-drilling waste, cement kiln dust and waste from drilling waste, cement kiln dust and waste from small businesses or factories that produce less small businesses or factories that produce less than 220 pounds of waste. than 220 pounds of waste.

• So, the haz waste laws do NOT regulate 95% of So, the haz waste laws do NOT regulate 95% of the country’s waste!!!!the country’s waste!!!!

INTEGRATED WASTE INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

• We can manage the solid wastes we produce We can manage the solid wastes we produce and reduce or prevent their production.and reduce or prevent their production.

Figure 22-5Figure 22-5

Solutions: Reducing Solid Solutions: Reducing Solid WasteWaste

• RefuseRefuse:: to buy items that we really don’t need. to buy items that we really don’t need.• ReduceReduce: consume less and live a simpler and : consume less and live a simpler and

less stressful life by practicing simplicity.less stressful life by practicing simplicity.• ReuseReuse: rely more on items that can be used : rely more on items that can be used

over and over.over and over.• RepurposeRepurpose:: use something for another purpose use something for another purpose

instead of throwing it away.instead of throwing it away.• RecycleRecycle:: paper, glass, cans, plastics…and buy paper, glass, cans, plastics…and buy

items made from recycled materials.items made from recycled materials.

RECYCLINGRECYCLING

• Primary (closed loop) recyclingPrimary (closed loop) recycling:: materials are turned into new products of materials are turned into new products of the same type.the same type.

• Secondary recyclingSecondary recycling: materials are : materials are converted into different products.converted into different products.– Used tires shredded and converted into Used tires shredded and converted into

rubberized road surface.rubberized road surface.– Newspapers transformed into cellulose Newspapers transformed into cellulose

insulation.insulation.

Fig. 22-11, p. 531

Reduces trash volume

Can compete with recycling for burnable materials such as newspaper

Output approach that encourages waste production

Older or poorly managed facilities can release large amounts of air pollution

Some air pollution

Difficult to site because of citizen opposition

Costs more than short-distance hauling to landfills

Expensive to build

Some facilities recover and sell metals

Modern controls reduce air pollution

Sale of energy reduces cost

Concentrates hazardous substances into ash for burial or use as landfill cover

Low water pollution

Less need for landfills

Trade-Offs

Incineration

Advantages Disadvantages

Fig. 22-13, p. 533

No open burning

Trade-Offs

Sanitary Landfills

Advantages Disadvantages

Eventually leaks and can contaminate groundwater

Discourages recycling, reuse, and waste reduction

Slow decompositionof wastes

Groundwater contamination

Releases greenhouse gases (methane and CO2)unless they are collected

Air pollution from toxic gases and volatile organiccompounds

Dust

Noise and traffic

No shortage of landfill space in many areas

Filled land can be used for other purposes

Can handle large amounts of waste

Can be built quickly

Low operating costs

Low groundwaterpollution if sited properly

Little odor

Hazardous Waste Regulations in Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United Statesthe United States

• Two major federal laws regulate the Two major federal laws regulate the management and disposal of hazardous management and disposal of hazardous waste in the U.S.:waste in the U.S.:– Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

(RCRA)(RCRA)• Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track waste.Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track waste.

– Comprehensive Environmental Response, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)• Commonly known as Superfund program.Commonly known as Superfund program.

Hazardous Waste Regulations in Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United Statesthe United States

• The Superfund law was designed to have The Superfund law was designed to have polluters pay for cleaning up abandoned polluters pay for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites.hazardous waste sites.– Only 70% of the cleanup costs have come Only 70% of the cleanup costs have come

from the polluters, the rest comes from a trust from the polluters, the rest comes from a trust fund financed until 1995 by taxes on chemical fund financed until 1995 by taxes on chemical raw materials and oil.raw materials and oil.

Conversion to Less Hazardous Conversion to Less Hazardous SubstancesSubstances

• Physical MethodsPhysical Methods: using charcoal or resins : using charcoal or resins to separate out harmful chemicals.to separate out harmful chemicals.

• Chemical MethodsChemical Methods: using chemical : using chemical reactions that can convert hazardous reactions that can convert hazardous chemicals to less harmful or harmless chemicals to less harmful or harmless chemicals.chemicals.– Catalytic converter to convert CO to COCatalytic converter to convert CO to CO22))

– Scrubbers that convert toxic gases to more Scrubbers that convert toxic gases to more stable/less harmful gasesstable/less harmful gases

Conversion to Less Hazardous Conversion to Less Hazardous SubstancesSubstances

• Biological MethodsBiological Methods: : – BioremediationBioremediation: bacteria or enzymes help : bacteria or enzymes help

destroy toxic and hazardous waste or convert destroy toxic and hazardous waste or convert them to more benign substances.them to more benign substances.

– PhytoremediationPhytoremediation: involves using natural or : involves using natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter and remove contaminants from polluted soil and remove contaminants from polluted soil and water.and water.

PhytostabilizationPlants such as willow trees and poplars can absorb chemicals and keep them from reaching groundwater or nearby surface water.

RhizofiltrationRoots of plants such as sunflowers with dangling roots on ponds or in green-houses can absorb pollutants such as radioactive strontium-90 and cesium-137 and various organic chemicals.

PhytoextractionRoots of plants such as Indian mustard and brake ferns can absorb toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and others and store them in their leaves. Plants can then be recycled or harvested and incinerated.

PhytodegradationPlants such as poplarscan absorb toxic organic chemicals and break them down into less harmful compounds which they store or release slowly into the air.

Inorganicmetal contaminants

Organiccontaminants

Radioactivecontaminants

Brake fernPoplar treeIndian mustardWillow treeSunflower

Oilspill

Landfill

GroundwaterSoil

PollutedleachateDecontaminated

water out

Pollutedgroundwater in

GroundwaterSoil

SuperfundSuperfund• In 1980, Congress passed the In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation and Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability ActLiability Act, commonly called the , commonly called the Superfund Superfund program.program.

• This law has provided a trust fund for:This law has provided a trust fund for:– Identifying abandoned hazardous waste dump Identifying abandoned hazardous waste dump

sites and underground tanks leaking toxic chemsites and underground tanks leaking toxic chem– Protecting and cleaning up groundwater nearbyProtecting and cleaning up groundwater nearby– Cleaning up the siteCleaning up the site– When they can be found, requiring the responsible When they can be found, requiring the responsible

parties to pay for the clean up.parties to pay for the clean up.

SuperfundSuperfund

• Procedure once the EPA identifies a site:Procedure once the EPA identifies a site:– Groundwater around the site is tested for Groundwater around the site is tested for

contamination. If nothing is really found, contamination. If nothing is really found, nothing more might be done.nothing more might be done.

– If a threat is identified, they may a) dig a deep If a threat is identified, they may a) dig a deep trench and install a concrete containment dike trench and install a concrete containment dike around the site and b) covering the site with around the site and b) covering the site with impervious layers of plastic and clay impervious layers of plastic and clay

– The worst sites are put on a National Priorities The worst sites are put on a National Priorities List and scheduled for total cleanup.List and scheduled for total cleanup.

SuperfundSuperfund

• To keep taxpayers from footing the bill, the To keep taxpayers from footing the bill, the EPA finds the parties responsible, orders them EPA finds the parties responsible, orders them to pay for the entire cleanup, and suing them if to pay for the entire cleanup, and suing them if they do not.they do not.

• When the EPA cannot find the responsible When the EPA cannot find the responsible party, it draws money out of the Superfund for party, it draws money out of the Superfund for cleanup.cleanup.

• Since 1981, about 1,900 sites have been Since 1981, about 1,900 sites have been placed on the NPL. Until 2000, 750 have been placed on the NPL. Until 2000, 750 have been cleaned up at a cost of $300 billion.cleaned up at a cost of $300 billion.

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Brownfields are abandoned industrial and Brownfields are abandoned industrial and commercial sites that in most cases are commercial sites that in most cases are contaminated (e.g. factories, old landfills, gas contaminated (e.g. factories, old landfills, gas stations).stations).

• 450,000 – 600,000 sites exist in the U.S., many 450,000 – 600,000 sites exist in the U.S., many of them in economically stressed inner cities.of them in economically stressed inner cities.

• Many of these sites can be cleaned up and Many of these sites can be cleaned up and reborn as parks, athletic fields and reborn as parks, athletic fields and neighborhood. neighborhood.