342 ENVIRONMENTALENGINEERINGthese two very distinct problems. Because of the general lack of common law in this
ma, we move directly into statutory controls of solid waste.NONHAZARDOUS SOLID WASTEThe most significant solid waste disposal regulations were developed under the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976. This federal statute, which
amended the elementary Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, reflected the concerns of
the public in general and Congress in particular about: (1) protecting public health and
the environment from solid waste disposal, (2) filling the loopholes in existing surface
water and air quality laws, (3) ensuring adequate land disposal of residues from air
pollution technologies and sludge from wastewater treatment processes, and (4) most
importantly, promoting resource conservation and recovery.
The EPA implemented RCRA in a manner that reflected these concerns. Disposal
sites were cataloged as either landfills, lagoons, or land spreading operations, and the
adverse effects of improper disposal were grouped into seven categories:
Floodplains were historically prime locations for industrial disposal facilities
because many industries elected to locate along rivers for water supply, power
generation, or transportation of process inputs or production outputs. When the rivers
flooded, the disposed wastes were washed downstream, with immediate adverse impact
on water quality.
Endangered and threatened species may be affected by habitat destruction as
the disposal site is being developed and operated, or harmed by toxic or hazardous
materials leaking from the site. Animals may be poisoned as they wander onto unfenced
sites.
Su$ace water quality may also be affected by certain disposal practices. Without
proper controls of runoff and leachate, rainwater has the potential to transport pollutants
from the disposal site to nearby lakes and streams.
Groundwater quality is of great concern because about half of the nation’s popula-
tion depends on groundwater for water supply. Soluble and partially soluble substances
are leached from the waste site by rainwater; the leachate can contaminate underground
aquifers.
Food-chin cmps may be adversely affected by landspreading or solid waste
that may adversely affect both public health and agricultural productivity. Food-chain
crops, especially’leafy vegetables like lettuce and animal feed crops like alfalfa, often
bioconcentrate heavy metals and other trace chemicals.
Air quality may be degraded by pollutants emitted from waste decomposition,
such as methane, and may cause serious pollution problems downwind from a disposal
site. Uncovered waste in landfills can sustain spontaneous combustion, and landfdl fires
(“dump fires”) can degrade air quality severely.
Health and safety of on-site workers and the nearby public may be compromised
by dump fires, as well as explosions of gas generated at the site. Uncovered waste
attracts flocks of birds that pose a severe hazard to aircraft.