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CE 647 Chapter I & II Evolution of Solid Waste Management Legislative Trends and Impacts

CE 647 Chapter I & II Evolution of Solid Waste Management Legislative Trends and Impacts. Overview.

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CE 647 Chapter I & II Evolution of Solid Waste Management Legislative Trends and Impacts

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  1. CE 647 Chapter I & II Evolution of Solid Waste Management Legislative Trends and Impacts

  2. Overview • Solid wastes are the wastes arising from human activities and are normally solid as opposed to liquid or gaseous and are discarded as useless or unwanted. Focused on urban waste (MSW) as opposed to agricultural, mining and industrial wastes. • Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) is the term applied to all the activities associated with the management of society's wastes. • In medieval times, wastes discarded in the streets led to the breeding of rats and the associated fleas which carried the bubonic plague. The lack of management of solid wastes thus led to the Black Plague which killed half of 14th century Europe.

  3. Overview • USPHS has traced 22 human diseases to improper solid waste management. • Solid wastes also have a great potential to pollute the air and water. • Materials Flow - The best way to reduce solid wastes is not to create them in the first place. Others methods include: decrease consumption of raw material and increase the rate of recovery of waste materials. • Technological advances - Increased use of plastics and fast, pre-prepared foods.

  4. Solid Waste Management • Solid waste management is the control of : • generation, materials are identified as being no longer value • storage, management of wastes until they are put into a container • collection, gathering of solid wastes and recyclable materials and the transport of these materials where the collection vehicle is emptied. 50% or higher of the total cost. • processing, source separated (at the home) vs. commingled (everything together) is a big issue. Includes: physical processes such as shredding and screening, removal of bulky material, and chemical and biological processes such as incineration and composting. • transfer and transport, small trucks to the biggest trucks • disposal of solid waste, landfilling with or without attempting to recover resources.

  5. Solid Waste Management • Solid waste management is the control of : • generation, storage, collection, processing, transfer and transport, and disposal of solid waste in a manner that is in accord with: • public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, public attitudes, and other environmental considerations. • Early disposal practices at the turn of the last century included: • dumping on land (open dumps): spread of diseases • dumping in water (coastal cities): water pollution • plowing into soil (food wastes): large land requirements, need to separate food waste from other wastes. • feeding to hogs (food waste): spread of diseases • incineration • Modern landfilling was begun in the 1940's in NYC and in Fresno, Ca under Dir. of Public Works.

  6. Integrated Solid Waste Management • ISWM - defines as the selection and application of suitable techniques, technologies and management programs to achieve specific waste management objectives and goals. For example in California: 25% reduction by 1995, 50% reduction by 2000. • Hierarchy - adopted by EPA to rank actions: • Source reduction: most useful, may involve design of packaging with minimum toxic content, minimum volume or a longer useful life. • Recycling: involves separation, preparation, and reuse of waste. • Waste Transformation: physical, chemical and biological alteration of the waste for the purposes of: (i) improving efficiency, (ii) recover reusable material, glass, (iii) recover conversion products, compost • Landfilling, material that: (i) cannot be recycled, (ii) has no further use, (iii) residual matter attendant to another process, ash left over after combustion

  7. Legislative Trends and Impacts • Rivers and Harbors Act, 1899, regulated the dumping of debris in navigable waters and adjacent land. The idea was to protect navigation. • Solid Waste Disposal Act, 1965, PL89-272, The intent was: • Promote solid waste management and resource recovery. • Promote technical and financial aid • Promote national research. • Provide for guidelines. • Provide for training grants. • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 1969, Required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

  8. Legislative Trends and Impacts • Resource Recovery Act, 1970, PL95-512, • amended the SW Disposal Act of 1965. Directed that the emphasis should be shifted from disposal as its primary objective to recycling and reuse. Management activities were transferred the US EPA which was formed by presidential order under Reorganizational Plan No. 3 of 1970. • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 1976, PL94-580. • Legal basis for implementation of guidelines and standards for solid waste storage, treatment and disposal. RCRA was amended in 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1988. The 1980 and 1984 versions emphasized concern with hazardous waste. • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 1980, (Superfund), PL96-510. Response to uncontrolled hazardous waste disposal sites.

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